The 48 Laws Of Power

314 LAW 37

Diana)

oraverbal

description

of

something

visual

(the

words

“theSun

King”).

The

symbolicobject

standsfor

something

else,

something

abstract

(such

asthe

image

“Diana”

standing

for

chastity).

The

abstract

concept-

purity,patriotism,courage,

lovc~—~isfullofemotionaland

powerful

associa-

tions. The

symbol

is a shortcutof

expression, containing

dozens of

meanings

inone

simplephrase

or

object.

The

symbol

oftheSun

King,

as

explainedby

Louis

XIV,

canbereadon

manylayers,

but

the

beauty

ofitis

thatitsassociations

required

no

explanation,spokeimmediately

tohissub-

jects,distinguished

himfromall

other

kings,

and

conjuredup

akindof

majesty

thatwentfar

beyond

thewordsthemselves.The

symbol

contains

untold

power.

Thefirst

step

in

usingsymbols

and

images

is

tounderstandthe

pri-

macy

of

sightamong

thesenses.Beforethe

Renaissance,

ithasbeenan

gued,sight

andtheother

senses--taste,touch,

andso

on-—-operated

ona

relativelyequalplane.

Since

then,

however,

thevisualhascometodomi-

natethe

others,

andisthesensewemost

depend

onandtrust.AsGracién

said,

“Thetruthis

generally

seen,

rarely

heard.”Whenthe

Renaissance

painter

Fra

FilippoLippi

wasa

captured

slave

among

the

Moors,

hewon

his

freedom

bysketching

a

drawing

ofhismasteronawhitewallwitha

piece

of

charcoal;

whentheownersawthe

drawing,

he

instantly

under-

stoodthe

power

ofamanwhocouldmakesuch

images,

andletFra

Lippi

go.

Thatone

image

wasfarmore

powerful

than

anyargument

the

artist

couldhavemadewithwords.

Never

neglect

the

wayyouarrangethingsvisually.

Factorslike

color,

for

example,

haveenormous

symbolic

resonance.WhentheconartistYel-

lowKidWeilcreatedanewsletter

touting

the

phony

stockshewas

ped-

dling,

hecalleditthe “RedLetterNewsletter”and hadit

printed,

at

considerable

expense,

inredink.

Thecolor

createda

senseof

urgency,

power,

and

good

fortune.

Weil

recognized

detailsliketheseas

keys

tode-

ception—as

domodernadvertisersandmass-marketers.If

you

use

“gold”

inthetitleof

anything

you

are

trying

to

sell,

for

example,print

itin

gold.

.

Sincethe

eyepredominates,

people

will

respond

moretothecolorthanto

theword.

The

wsualcontains

great

emotional

power.

TheRoman

emperor

Con-

stantine

worshipped

thesunasa

god

formostofhis

life;

one

day,though,

helooked

up

atthe

sun,

andsawacross

superimposed

onit.Thevision

of

thecrossoverthesun

proved

to

him

the

ascendancy

ofthenew

religion,

andheconvertednot

just

himselfbutthewholeRoman

Empire

toChris-

tianity

soon

thereafter.All

the

preaching

and

proselytizing

intheworld

couldnothavebeenas

powerful.

Findandassociate

yourself

withtheim-

ages

and

symbols

thatwillcommunicateinthisimmediate

waytoday,

and

you

willhaveuntold

power.

Most

effectiveofall

isanewcon1bination—afusionof

images

and

sym-

bolsthathavenotbeenseen

together

before,

butthat

through

theirassoci-

ation

clearly

demonstrate

your

new

idea,

message,religion.

Thecreationof

new

images

and

symbols

outofoldonesinthis

way

hasa

poetic

effect-

viewers’associationsrun

rampant.giving

themasenseof

participation.