The 48 Laws Of Power

the

feeling

that

you

sharetheir

thoughts

and

goals.

Second,

if

they

suspect

you

haveulterior

motives,

themirrorshields

you

from

them,

preventing

themfrom

figuring

out

your

strategy.

Eventually

thiswillinfuriateandun-

settlethem.

Byplaying

the

double,

you

stealtheir

thunder,

suck

away

their

initiative,

makethemfeel

helpless.

Youalso

gain

the

ability

tochoosewhen

andhowto
unsettlethem—anot.heravenueto
power.

Andthemirror

saves

you

mental

energy:

simply

echoing

themovesofothers

givesyou

the

spaceyou

needto

develop

a

strategy

of

your

own.

Observance
II

Early

on

inhis

career,

theambitiousstatesmanand

general

Alcibiadesof

Athens
(450—4048.0)

fashionedaformidable

weapon

thatbecamethe

sourceofhis
power.

In

every

encounterwith

others,

hewouldsensetheir

moodsand
tastes,

then

carefully

tailorhiswordsandactionstomirrortheir

inmost
desires.He
wouldseducethemwiththeideathattheirvalueswere

superior

to

everyone

else’s,

andthathis

goal

wastomodelhimselfonthem

or

help

themrealizetheirdreams.Fewcouldresisthischarm.

Thefirstmantofallunderhis

spell

wasthe

philosopher

Socrates.Al-

cibiades

represented

the

opposite

ofthe

Socraticideal

of

simplicity

and

up-

rightness:

Helived

lavishly

and

was

completelyunprincipled.

Whenever

hemet

Socrates,however,

hemirroredtheolderman’s

sobriety,eating

simply,accompanying

Socrateson

long

walks,

and

talkingonly

of

philoso-

phy

andvirtue.Socrateswasnot

completely

fooled——hewasnotunaware

ofAlcibiades’otherlife.Butthat

only

madehimvulnerabletoa

logic

that

flatteredhim:
Only

in

mypresence,

he

felt,

does

thismansubmit

to

a.virtu-

ous
influence;

only

I

havesuch

power

overhim.This

feeling

intoxicated

Socrates,
whobecameAlcibiades’ferventadmirerand
supporter,

one

day

even

risking

hisownlifetorescuethe

young

maninbattle.

TheAtheniansconsideredAlcibiadestheir

greatest

orator,

forhehad

an

uncannyability

totuneintohisaudience’s

aspirations,

andmirrortheir

desires.

He

madehis

greatestspeeches

in

support

oftheinvasionof

Sicily,

whichhe

thought

would

bringgreat

wealthtoAthensandlimitless

glory

to

himself.The

speechesgave

expression

to

young

Athenians’thirsttocom

quer

lands

for

themselves,

ratherthan

living

offthevictoriesoftheira.nces~

tors.

Buthealso

tailored

his

wordstoreflect

oldermen's

nostalgia

forthe

gloryyears

whenAthensledthe

Greeks

against

Persia,

andthen

wentonto

createan

empire.

AllAthensnowdreamedof

conqueringSicily;

Alcibi-

ades’

plan

was

approved,

andhewasmadethe

expedition’s

commander.

WhileAlcibiadeswas

leading

theinvasionof

Sicily,

however,

certain

Atheniansfabricated

chargesagainst

himof

profaning

sacred

statues.He

knewhisenemieswouldhavehimexecutedifhereturned

home,

soatthe

lastminutehedesertedtheAthenianfleetanddefectedtoAthens’sbitter

enemy,Sparta.

The

Spartans

welcomedthis

great

mantotheir

side,

but

they

knewhis

reputation

andwere

wary

ofhim.Alcibiadesloved

luxury;

the

Spartans

wereawarrior

people

who

worshippedausterity,

and

they

wereafraidhewould

corrupt

their

youth.

Butmuchtotheir

relief,

theAl~

being

me

wrong

.i"hup1'

andsize,

II('

had

Inreturnto

hisden

Empryalmllietl,

tail

dragging.

ears

rlrouping,

Asrec!in

1/wfacc

asa

[at

who’:been

caught

by

ahen.

sril‘:(.‘TFDF-AHLIL5.

.ll'ANmaLA

l"(l\'TAlNf<,

ltfll 46195

Till‘,l’I‘ltl,0lM'J)

l.K'l"l'l»ZH

WhenIwithto

find

(ml

how

wisr,

orhow

.s‘lup-id,

orhow

good,

or

howu/it:/«€11is

(my

am’.

orwhatarehis

thzmglzls

atthe

moment,

I

/in-lziun

the

e.\/Jrc-.s*.si(mufmyfuce.

as

accurately

as

pu.r.n'-

He,

inarcordrznccwith

the

e.\:pre.tsionofiris

am‘!thenwait

tosee

what

rlmugkts

orsemi-

mcmsarisein

my

liilfld

or/wan,as

ifto

match

or

correspond

wirhthe

ax/Jressiurt.

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LAW 44

A

381