The 48 Laws Of Power

430 LAW 43

Im

age:

Mer

cury.

The

wingedmessenger,

god

of

commerce,

patron

saintof

thieves,

gamblers,

andallthosewhodeceive

through

swiftness.The

dayMercury

wasbornheinvented

the

lyre;

by

that

evening

hehadstolenthecattleof

Apollo.

He

wouldscour

the

world,

assuming

whatever

form

hedesired.Likethe

liquid

metal

namedafter

him,

heembodiesthe

elusive,

the

ungraspable——thepower

offormlessness.

Authority:

Therefore

theconsummation

of

forming

an

army

istoarrive

at

formlessness.

Victory

inwarisnot

repetitious,

but

adapts

itsform

endlessly.

..
.
A
military

forcehasnoconstant

formation,

waterhasno

constant

shape:

The

ability

to

gainvictory

by

changing

and

adapting

ac

cording

tothe

opponent

iscalled

genius.

(Sun-tzu,

fourth

century

B.c.)

REVERSAL

Usingspace

to

disperse

andcreateanabstract

pattern

shouldnotmeanfor-

saking

theconcentrationof

your

power

whenitisvaluableto

you.

Form~

lessnessmakes

your

enemieshuntalloverfor

you,scattering

theirown

forces,

mentalaswellas

physical.

When

youfinallyengage

them,

though,

hitthemwitha

powerful,

concentratedblow.ThatishowMaosucceeded

against

theNationalists:Hebroketheirforces

into

small,

isolated

units,

whichhethencould

easily

overwhelmwitha

strong

attack.Thelawofcon—

centration

prevailed.

When

youplay

with

formlessness,

keep

on

top

ofthe

process,

and

keepyourlongetermstrategy

inmind.

When

you

assume

aform

and

go

on

the

attack,

use

concentration,

speed,

and

power.

AsMan

said,

“Whenwe

fight

you,

wemakesure

you

can’t

getaway.”