The 48 Laws Of Power

Interpretation

Mostmenareruled
by

the

heart,

notthehead.Their

plans

are

vague,

and

when

they

meetobstacles

theyimprovise.

But

improvisation

will

only

bringyou

asfarasthenext

crisis,

andisneverasubstitutefor

thinking

several
steps

aheadand

planning

to

theend.

Balboahadadreamof

glory

and

wealth,

and

a

vagueplan

toreachit.

Yethisbold

deeds,

andhis

discovery

ofthe

Pacific,

are

largelyforgotten,

forhecommittedwhatintheworldof
power

istheultimatesin:Hewent

partway,leaving

thedoor

open

forotherstotakeover.Arealmanof

power

wouldhavehadthe

prudence

toseethe

dangers

inthedistance——

therivalswhowouldwanttoshareinthe
conquests,

thevulturesthat

wouldhoveronce

they

heardtheword

“gold.”

Balboashouldhave

kept

his

knowledge

oftheIncassecretuntilafterhehad

conquered

Peru.

Only

thenwouldhis
wealth,

andhis

head,

havebeensecure.OncePedrariasar-

rivedon
the
scene,

amanof

power

and

prudence

wouldhaveschemedto

kill
or
imprison
him,

andtotakeoverthe

army

he had

brought

forthe

conquest

ofPeru.ButBalboawaslockedinthe

moment,

alwaysreacting

emotionally,

never

thinking

ahead.

What

good

isittohavethe

greatest

dreamintheworldifothers

reap

thebenefits

andthe

glory?

Never

lose

your

headovera

vague,open-

ended

drearn—plan

totheend.

OBSERVANCE

OFTHELAW

In

1863 thePrussian

premier

OttovonBismarck

surveyed

thechessboard

of

Europeanpower

asitthen

stood.

Themain

players

were

England,

France,

andAustria.Prussiaitselfwasoneofseveralstatesinthe

loosely

alliedGermanFederation.

Austria,

dominantmemberofthe

Federation,

madesurethattheotherGermanstatesremained

weak,

dividedandsub»

missive.Bismarck

believedthat

Prussia

was

destined

for

something

far

greater

than

servant

boy

toAustria.

ThisishowBismarck

played

the

game.

Hisfirst

movewas

tostarta

warwith

lowly

Denmark,

inordertorecovertheformerPrussianlandsof

Schleswig—Holstein,

Heknewthatthese

rumblings

ofPrussian

indepen-

dence

mightworry

Franceand

England,

soheenlistedAustriainthe

war,

claiming

thathewas

recoveringSchleswig-Holstein

fortheirbenefit.lna

few

months,

afterthewarwas

decided,

Bismarckdemandedthatthe

newlyconquered

landsbemade

part

ofPrussia.TheAustriansofcourse

were

furious,

but

theycompromised:

First

theyagreed

to

give

thePrus-

aians

Schleswig,

and a

year

later

they

soldthemHolstein.Theworld

began

to

seethatAustriawas

weakening

and

thatPrussiawasontherise.

Bismarck’snextmovewashisboldest:In 1866 heconvinced

King

WilliamofPrussiatowithdrawfromtheGerman

Federation,

andin

doing

soto

go

towarwithAustriaitself.

King

William’s

wife,

hissonthecrown

prince,

and

the

princes

oftheotherGerman

kingdomsvehementlyop-

posed

such

awar.But

Bismarck,undaunted,

succeeded

in

forcing

thecon-

flict,

andPrussia’s

superiorarmy

defeatedthe

Austriansin

the

brutally

miuwarr:

of

the

fact

mm

we

should

thinkwell

beforedoinganything.

Butwe

are

zlui/yguilty

ofrmr

rcmtambraring.

and

the

cor1s¢'quenr.'e.s

areevil.

fwiry

much

vulut.’!l'Ii.rdervish

'5

advice,

"

The

king

decizied

to

beartheaa'vice

always

inIuirmind,and

coin»

mamleditmbewritten

in

gold

onIliewalls

andeven

engmved

on

/zis

Sl[V(‘J'[)l£1!<’?.

Not

longflficrwanl

a

ploller

drasirzedtokill

the

king.

Hebribedthe

r’(1y££1.YIN'g(!t')n

witha

pmmiseof

{he

prime

rninistzrrxhipifhe’

rlmm

a

poisoned

la/‘we;into

the

king

‘Xarm.Wlmi

thetimemm:tolet

sanm

of

the

kings

hlaorl.

llsilverbasin

was

placed

((7catchthe

blond.

Sur1'(1enly

the

rurgevn

became

smart‘

of

thewords

engraved

upon

lz:

"Nmmr

I;-rgin

rmlvtlzing

umil

you

have

ref!(I(.‘lm'l

what

willbe

theand

of

it."Itwas

only

(hm

llza!hereal-

izedthat

if/he

planer

betramrt

king

he

muld

lmwlhe

surgeon

killed

imtimtly,

andwould

notneedto

fulfill

my

bargain.

The

king.weing

that

Vhr‘

surgeon

was

now

trembling.

askedhim

whatwas

wrong

with

him.Andsohe

(70IIf¢‘S5t’(l

thetruth.

at

that

very

moment.

‘Ila-'

plotter

was

seizetl;

and{lie

kingsem_for

all

the

people

whohurt

hem

prescrliz

whenthis

abclal

gave

hisadvice,

andsaidIni‘llt?I1l.‘“Do

you

still

laugh

atthe

rle/wish?

"

(7.-\R,4\V/\N

orDRFAMS.

lI>RllaSSHAII, 1968

LAW 29 239