The 48 Laws Of Power

the

degree

towhichithas

bought

influence.Makea

display

of

deferring

to

others,

asif

they

weremore

powerful

than

you.

Cosimode’Medici

per-

fectedthis

game;

hewasaconsummateconartistof

appearances.

Noone

could

gauge

theextentofhis

power———his

modestexteriorhidthetruth.

Neverbesofoolishastobelievethat

you

are

stirringup

admiration

by

flaunting

the

qualities

that

raise

you

aboveothers.

Bymaking

othersaware

oftheirinferior

position,you

are

onlystirringup“unhappy

admiration,”

or

envy,

whichwill

gnawaway

atthemuntil

they

undermine

you

in

waysyou

cannotforesee.Thefooldaresthe

gods

of

envybyflaunting

hisvictories.

Themasterof
power

understandsthatthe

appearance

of

superiority

over

othersis

inconsequential

nexttothe

reality

ofit.

Ofzzli

thedisorders

of

the

soul,

envy

isthe

only

onenoone

confesses

to.

1’lul(lVt7lt.

1'.AJ).46-120

KEYSTOPOWER

Thehumananimalhasahardtime

dealing

with

feelings

of

inferiority.

In

the‘faceof

superior

skill,talent,

or

power,

weareoftendisturbedandillat

ease;

thisisbecause

most

ofushaveaninflatedsense

of

ourselves,

and

whenwemeet

people

who

surpass

us

they

make

itcleartousthatwearein

fact

mediocre,

oratleastnotasbrilliantaswehad

thought.

Thisdiscur~

banceinour

self-image

cannotlast

long

without

stirringupugly

emotions.

Atfirstwefeel

envy:

If

only

wehadthe

quality

orskillofthe

superiorper

son,

wewouldbe

happy.

But

envybrings

usneithercomfortnot

any

closer

to

equality.

Norcanweadmitto

feeling

it,

for

it

isfrowned

uponsocially“

toshow

envy

istoadmitto

feeling

inferior.Toclose

friends,

we

may

con-

fessoursecretunrealized

desires,

butwewillneverconfessto

feeling

envy.

Soit

goesunderground.

We

disguise

itin

manyways,

like

finding

grounds

tocriticizethe

person

whomakesusfeelit:He

may

besmarterthanI

am,

we

say,

buthe

has

no

morals

or

conscience.Orhe

may

havemore

power,

butthat’sbecausehecheats.Ifwedonotslander

him,

perhaps

we

praise

him

excessiveIy——-another

of

envy’sdisguises.

Thereareseveral

strategies

for

dealing

withthe

insidious,

destructive

emotionof

envy.

First,

accept

thefactthattherewillbe

people

whowill

surpassyou

insome

way,

andalsothefactthat

youmayenvy

them.But

makethat

feeling

a

way

of

pushingyourself

to

equal

or

surpass

themsome-

day.

let

envy

turninwardandit

poisons

the

soul;

expel

itoutwardandit

can

move

you

to

greaterheights.

Second,

understandthatas

yougainpower,

thosebelow

you

willfeel

enviousof

you.Theymay

notshow

it

but

itis

inevitable.

Donot

naively

ac-

cept

thefacade

they

show

you———read

betweenthelinesoftheir

criticisms,

theirlittlesarcastic

remarks,

the

signs

of

backstabbing,

theexcessive

praise

thatis

preparingyou

fora

fall,

theresentfullookinthe

eye.

Halfthe

prob-

lemwith

envy

comeswhenwedonot

recognize

it

until

it

istoolate.

Finally,

expect

thatwhen

peopleenvyyou

they

willwork

againstyou

Theenviousltirlesus

mmfully

asrlw

.wr'rvr,

lustful

slnncrand

beuonwstheendless

inventor

of

miksmid

rrraragemr

tohideand

nm.vkl1imszaIf.'

Thushe

isableto

prczeml

10

ignore

the

superiority

of

ollwrswhiclzsum

up

his

heart,

as

ifhc

did

notsee

them,

norllfldl

(hem,norwereaware

ofzhcm,

I10?/lullever

heard

nfllmm.

Ilaita

masterxintularar.On

theulllerhandhe(rim;

withallhis

power

to

cronmycandthin

preventanyformof

sirperiorziyfrom

u;/nearing

inan

y

,vii1m-

n'm1.And

ifthey

(In.he

costsonzln,-mobscu-

rity.Ilypc-rcrilicisni.

surcaxrnand

calumuy

like(hrmadthat

spits

poisonfrom

itshole.

Ontheolherlumdhe

willraise

erullrtrsly

imwgnifiziunt

men.

mediocre

pmplra

am!

evenme

inkrior

in/he

smrze

lypeuf

arc-(r‘vitie.s.

Arm 1 UR

S(‘H()PFNl[AL'FR.

l 7884800

Fornot

manynmz,

[he

prover!)mys,

canlovea

frieml

who

forltmt’

prr7,rpwswirlu>utfe:el-

ingenvy;

andahourthe

mvious

brain.

cold

poisondings

and

(l0llbleSl1l[ll1L‘

painlife

bnngx

him.Hisown

woumlingi‘

hemust

nurse,

and

feels

anrltlwrir

glurlnrss

like:1curse.

AHsr.‘im.IIs.

c. 525456 urn

LAW 46 405