The 48 Laws Of Power

PARTI:USEDECOYED

OBJECTS

OFDESIREANDRED

HERRINGSTOTHROWPEOPLEOFFTHESCENT

If

at

any

point

inthe

deceptionyoupracticepeople

havethe

slightestsuspi-

eionasto

your

intentions,

allislost.Donot

give

themthechancetosense

what

you

are

up

to: Throwthem

off

theseen!

bydragging

ml

herrings

acrossthe

path.

Use

false

sincerity,

send

ambiguoussignals,

set

up

mis—

leadingobjects0}’

desire.Unableto

distinguish

the

genuinefmmthefalse,

thrgr

ccmnat

pick

out

your

veal

goal.

TRANSGRESSIONOFTHELAW

Overseveral

weeks,

Ninonde

Lenclos,

themostinfamouscourtesanof

seventeentlrcentury

France,

listened

patiently

asthe

Marquis

de

Sevigné

explained

his

struggles

in

pursuing

a

beautifulbutdifficult

young

countess.

Ninonwas

sixty~two

atthe

time,

andmorethan

experienced

inmattersof

love;
the

marquis

wasaladof

twenty-two,

handsome,

dashing,

but

hope

lesslyinexperienced

inromance.AtfirstNinonwasamusedtohearthe

marquis

talkabouthis

mistakes,

but

finally

she

had had

enough.

Unableto

bear

ineptitude

in

any

realm,

leastofallin

seducing

a

woman,

shedecided

totakethe
young

manunderher

wing.First,he

hadtounderstandthatthis

was
war,

andthatthebeautifulcountesswas{citadeltowhichhehadto

laysiege

as

carefully

as

anygeneral.Everystep

hadtobe

planned

and

exe-

cutedwiththeutmostattention
to
detailandnuance.

Instructing

the

marquis

tostart

over,

Ninontoldhimto

approach

the

countesswithabitof
distance,
anairofnonchalance.Thenexttimethe

twowerealone

together,

she

said,

hewouldconfideinthecountessas

wouldafriendbutnotva

potential

lover.Thiswastothrowher

off

thescent.

The
countesswas
no

longer

totakehis

interestinherfor

granted-perhaps

hewas
only

interestedin

friendship.

Ninon

planned

ahead.Oncethecountesswas

confused,

itwouldbe

timetomakeher

jealous.

Atthenext

encounter,

ata

major

fétein

Paris,

the

marquis

wouldshow

up

withabeautiful

young

womanathisside.This

beautiful
young

womanhad

equally

beautiful

friends,

sothatwhereverthe

countesswouldnowseethe

marquis,

hewouldbesurrounded

by

themost

stunning

young

womeninParis.Not

only

wouldthecountessbe

seething

with

jealousy,

shewouldcometoseethe

marquis

assomeonewhowasde-

sired

by

others.ItwashardforNinontomakethe

marquis

understand,

but

she

patientlyexplained

thatawomanwho

isinterested

ina

man

wantsto

seethatotherwomenareinterestedin

him,

too.Not

only

doesthat

give

himinstant

value,

itmakesitallthemore

satisfying

tosnatchhimfrom

theirclutches.

Oncethecountesswas

jealous

but

intrigued,

itwouldbetimetobe-

guile

her.OnNinon’s

instructions,

the

marquis

would

fail

toshow

up

ataf-

fairswherethecountess

expected

toseehim.

Then,

suddenly,

hewould

appear

atsalonshehadnever

frequented

before,

butthatthecountessat-

LAW 3 I7