The 48 Laws Of Power

mayor’s

fearswerebaseless.Butbuildthemhe

did,

andthe

mayor

was

grateful.

Itwas

onlyyears

laterthatworkmenona

high

scaffoldsawthat

thecolumns

stoppedjust

shortofthe

ceiling.

They

were

dummies.But

bothmen

got

what

they

wanted:

The

mayor

could

relax,

andWrenknew

posterity

wouldunderstandthathis

original

dedgn

workedandthecolumnswere

unnecessary.

The

power

of

demonstratingyour

ideaisthat

youropponents

donot

get
defensive,

andare

thereforemore

open

to

persuasion.Making

themlit-

erally

and

physically

feel

yourmeaning

is

infinitely

more

powerful

thanare

gument.

Aheclder once

interrupted

Nikita.Khrushchevinthemiddle ofa

speech

inwhichhewas

denouncing

thecrimesofStalin.

“You

wereacol-

league

of

Stalirfs,”

theheekler

yelled,“why

didn’t

youstop

himthen?”

Khrushschev

apparently

couldnotseethehecklerandbarked

out,

“VVho

saidthat?”Nohandwent

up.

Noonemoved

a

muscle.Afterafewseconds

oftense

silence,

Khrushchev

finally

saidina

quiet

voice,

“Now

you

know

why

Ididn’t

stop

him.”Insteadof

justarguing

that

anyonefacing

Stalin

was

afraid,

knowing

thatthe

slightestsign

of

rebellionwouldmean

certain

death,

hehadmadethem

feel

whatitwasliketofaceStalin———hadmade

themfeelthe

paranoia,

thefearof

speakingup,

theterrorof

confronting

the

leader,

inthiscaseKhrushchev.Thedemonstrationwasvisceralandno

more

argument

was

necessary.

The

most

powerfulpersuasiongoesbeyond

action

into

symbol.

The

power

ofa

symbol——aflag,

a

mythicstory,

amonumenttosomeemotional

event--isthat

everyone

understands

you

without

anythingbeing

said.In

1975,

when

HenryKissinger

was

engaged

insome

frusti-ating

negotiations

withtheIsraelisoverthereturnof

part

oftheSinaidesertthat

they

had

seizedinthe 1967

war,

he

suddenly

brokeoffatense

meeting

anddecided

todosome

sightseeing.

He

paid

a

visit

to

the

ruinsoftheancientfortress

of

Masada,

knowntoallIsraelisasthe

place

wheresevenhundred

Jewish

warriorscommittedmass suicideinA.I). 73 ratherthan

give

intothe

Roman

troopsbesieging

them.TheIsraelis

instantly

understoodthemes-

sage

of

Kissingefs

visit:Hewas

indirectlyaccusing

themof

courting

mass

suicide.

Although

the

visitdidnot

by

itself

change

their

minds,

itmade

themthinkfarmore

seriously

than

any

direct

warning

wouldhave.

Syrn~

bolslikethisone

carrygreat

emotional

significance.

When

aiming

for

power,

or

trying

to

conserve

it,

always

look

forthe

indirectroute.Andalso

choose

your

battles

carefully.

If

itdoes

notmatter

inthe

long

runwhethertheother

personagrees

with

you-«or

iftimeand

theirown

experience

willmakethemunderstandwhat

you

mean——thenit

isbestnoteventobotherwitha

demonstration.

Save

yourenergy

and

walk

away.

honorand

respect

to

him,

too.Inrhis

way

the

Egyptians

were

jwrsuatled

to

accept

himastheirmaster.

ms;

HISTORIES,

HERODOTIJS.

FIFTHCENHIRYB13.

GOD.-\\T)A\i§R.i\I|i\,\1

TheMtlxl

High

God

hurl

promised

Jim:He

wouldnottakeAbra-

hamitsoulltnlexsthe

manwanted

to

(lieand

askedHimtodoso.

WhenAbrahumis‘

life

was

drawing

toa

Clare,

andGoddetermined(0

.reL'2,ehim.

Herem’an

angel

inthe

guiseof

a

dccrepiz

oldmanwho

was‘almost

entirely

inmpru:im1e(I.

Theold

man

Slapped

outside

Ahralzw/1':doorand

.m2'clIoIz1'r1z.

“OhAhrae

(mm, 1 wouldlike

szmierlzzng

toear.

"

Abmlmmwas

mrzazezl

tohearhim

say

this,

“Die.

"

exclaimedAbra-

ham.‘'1!

wtmlzibe

lwtlrtrfnr

you

thanto

go

on

living

in

that

condition.

"

Almzlmm

alwayskept

food

ready

athishome

forpzzssingguests.

So

he

gave

Elmoldmana

bowl

containing

[>mIlz

andmen;withIyrwd

cmmbs.Theoldmun

satdowntoem.II1:

swullrm-‘rad

[(1})(N'i(II1sly.

with

greateffort.

and

{lll{.‘(€whenhetook

sarm?

food

it

dr0p])(‘([

from

hisIumri.scatter-

ing

onthe

gmrmd.

“Uh

Abraham,

"

hemiiil.

LAW 9 73