The 48 Laws Of Power

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2.56
LAW 34

couldmeethisdemands:

Queen

Isabella.In 1487 he

finallymanaged

a

meeting

withthe

queen,

and

although

hecouldnotconvincehertofinance

the

voyage,

he

completely

charmed

her,

andbecamea

frequentguest

in

the

palace.

In 1492 the

Spanishfinallyexpelled

theMoorishinvaderswhocen-

turiesearlier

had

seized

parts

ofthe

country.

Withthewartimeburdenon

her

treasury

lifted,

Isabellafeltshecould

finally

respond

tothedemandsof

her

explorer

friend,

andshedecidedto

pay

forthree

ships,equipment,

the

salariesofthe

crews,

anda

modest

stipend

forColumbus.

More

important,

she

hada.contractdrawn

up

that

granted

Columbusthetitlesand

rights

on

whichhehadinsisted.The

only

oneshedenied——and

only

inthecontract’s

fine

print—was

the 10

percent

ofallrevenuesfrom

any

landsdiscovered:

anabsurd

demand,

sincehewantednotimelimitonit.

(Had

theclause

beenleft

in,

itwould

eventually

havemadeColumbusandhis

heirs

the

wealthiest

family

onthe

planet.

Columbusneverreadthefine

print.)

Satisfied

thathis

demandshadbeen

met,

Columbussetsailthatsame

year

insearchofthe

passage

toAsia.

(Before

helefthewascarefultohire

thebest

navigator

hecouldfindto

help

him

getthere.)

Themissionfailed

tofindsucha

passage,yet

whenColumbus

petitioned

the

queen

to

finance

anevenmoreambitious

voyage

the

followingyear,

she

agreed.By

then

shehadcometoseeColumbusasdestinedfor

greatthings.

Interpretation

Asan

explorer

Columbuswasmediocreatbest.Heknew

lessabout

the

seathandidthe

average

sailoronhis

ships,

couldnever

determinethelati-

tude

and

longitude

of

his

discoveries,

mistookislandsforvast

continents,

andtreatedhiscrew

badly.

Butinoneareahewasa

genius:

Heknewhow

tosellhimself.Howelseto

explain

howthesonofacheese

vendor,

a.low-

levelsea

merchant,

managed

to

ingratiate

himselfwiththe

highestroyal

andaristocraticfamilies?

Columbushadan

amazingpower

tocharmthe

nobility,

anditall

camefromthe

way

hecarriedhimself.He

projected

asenseofconfidence

thatwas

completely

outof

proportion

tohismeans.Norwashisconfidence

the

aggressive,uglyselfipromotion

ofan

upsmrt—it

wasa

quiet

andcalm

selflassurance.

In

fact

it

wasthesameconfidence

usually

shown

by

theno

bility

themselves.The

powerful

inthe

o1d—style

aristocraciesfeltnoneedto

prove

orassert

themselves;

beingnoble,they

knew

theyalways

deserved

more,

andaskedforit.With

Columbus,then,

they

feltaninstant

aflinity,

forhecarriedhimself

just

the

waythey

clid——elevated

abovethe

crowd,

destinedfor

greatness.

Understand:

It

iswithin

yourpower

toset

your

own

price.

How

you

carryyourself

reflectswhat

you

thinkof

yourself.

If

you

askfor

little,

shuf-

fle

your

feetandlower

yourhead,people

willassumethisreflects

your

character.Butthisbehaviorisnot

you»-—it

is

only

how

you

havechosento

presentyourself

toother

people.

Youcan

just

as

easilypresent

theColum~

busfront:

buoyancy,

confidence,

andthe

feeling

that

you

werebornto

wearacrown.