The 48 Laws Of Power

Image:

AThicketofShrubs.

Inthe

forest,

one shrub

latches on to

another.

entzmgling

its

Iwighboi‘

with its

thorns,

thethicket

slowlyextending

its

impen-

etrabledomain‘

Only

what

keeps

its clistancze and

stands

apart

can

grow

and

rise above the thicket.

Authority:Regard

it

as

more

courageous

notto

become involved in an

engagement

than towin

in

battle,

andwherethere

is

already

one

interfering

fool,

takecarethatthere

shallnotbetwo.

(Baltasar

Gracian,1601-1658}

REVERSAL

Both

parts

ofthislawwillturn

againstyou

if

you

takeittoofar.The

game

proposed

here

is

delicateanddifficult.If

youplay

too

manyparties

against

one

another,

they

willsee

through

themaneuverandwill

gangup

on

you.

If

youkeepyourgrowing

numberofsuitors

waiting

too

long,

you

willin-

spire

notdesirebutdistrust.

People

willstarttoloseinterest.

Eventually

youmay

finditworthwhiletocommittoonesidevwif

only

for

appearances’

sake,

to

proveyou

are

capable

ofattachment.

Even

then,however,

the

key

willbetomaintain

your

inner

indepen-

dence-—to

keepyourself

from

getting

emotionally

involved.Preservethe

unspoken

option

of

being

abletoleaveat

any

momentandreclaim

your

freedomiftheside

you

arealliedwithstartsto

collapse.

Thefriends

you

made

while

you

were

being

courtedwill

giveyouplenty

of

places

to

go

once

youjumpship.

LAW 20 755