The 48 Laws Of Power

Authority:Upon

occasion,

revealaharmlessdefectin

your

charac-

ter.For

theenviousaccusethemost

perfect

of

sinningbyhaving

no

sins.

They

becomean

Argus,

all

eyes

for

finding

faultwithexcel-

lence—itistheir

only

consolation.Donotlet

envy

burst

with

itsown

venom—affectsome

lapse

invaloror

intellect,

soastodisarmit

beforehand.Youthuswave

your

red

cape

beforetheHornsof

Envy,

inordertosave

your immortality.

(Baltasar Gracién, 1601-1658)

REVERSAL

Thereasonfor

being

carefulwiththeenviousisthat

they

areso

indirect,

andwillfindinnumerable
ways

to

undermine

you.

But

treadingcarefully

aroundthem
willoften

only

make

their

envy

worse.

They

sensethat

you

are

being

cautious,

andit

registers

as

yet

another

sign

of

yoursuperiority.

Thatis
whyyou

mustactbefore

envy

takesroot.

Once

envy

is

there,however,

whether

throughyour

faultor

not,

itis

sometimesbesttoaffectthe

oppositeapproach:Display

theutmostdisdain

forthosewho
envyyou.

Insteadof

hiding

yourperfection,

makeitobvi-

ous.Make
every

new

triumph

an

opportunity

tomaketheenvious

squirm.

Your

good

fortuneand

power

becometheir

living

hell.If

you

attaina

posi-

tionof

unimpeachablepower,

their

envy

willhaveno

effect

on

you,

and

you

willhavethebest

revenge

ofall:

They

are

trapped

in

envy

while

you

arefreein
yourpower.

Thisishow

Michelangelo triumphed

over thevenomousarchitect

Bramante,

whoturned

PopeJuliusagainstMichela.ngelo’sdesign

forhis

tomb.
Bramanteenvied

Michelangelo’sgodlike

skills,

andtothisonetri-

umph—the

abortedtomb

project—hethought

toadd

another,

bypushing

the
pope

tocommission

Michelangelo

to

paint

themuralsintheSistine

Chapel.

The

project

wouldtake

years,

during

which

Michelangelo

would

accomplish

no moreofhisbrilliant

sculptures.

Furthermore,

Bramante

considered

Michelangelo

not

nearly

as

skilled

in

painting

asin

sculpture.

The

chapel

would

spoil

his

image

asthe

perfect

artist.

Michelangelo

sawthe

trap

andwantedtoturndownthe

commission,

buthecouldnotrefusethe
pope,

sohe

accepted

itwithout

complaint.

Then,however,

heusedBra.rnante’s

envy

to

spur

himto

greaterheights,

making

theSistine

Chapel

hismost

perfect

workof

all.

Every

time

Bra-

manteheardofitorsaw

it,

hefeltmore

oppressedby

hisown

envy—the

sweetestandmost

lastingrevengeyou

canexactontheenvious.

Knowhowto

triumph

over

envy

andmalice.

Hrre

(.'(}Vll£fVI‘L[)L

althoughprudent,

counls,indeed,for

little;

mugnanimity

is

better.A

good

word

cormerning

onewho

speaks

evil

ofyou

cannotbe

praised

too

highly:

thereisno

revrtrige

moreheroic

thanthat

brought

about

by

thosemerits

andultaimnentswhich

frustrate

andtorment

thectzviousz

Every

stroke

ofgoodfortune

is(I

further

twist

oflhe

rape

roundtheneck

of

rho

ill-disposed

andthe

heaven

o/‘the

enviedis

hell

for

theenvious.To

convert

yourgood

fortune

[mo

;mi.w/n/or

your

meniiresisheldto

hethenzrmsewrc

punislzrrwrltyou

vim

iriflict

onthem.The

(enviousmandimnot

only

oncebutas

many

timesas

zhepersoli

he

envieslivertohearthe

mice

ofpraisec

the

etwnityoflhe

[utters

jizme

isthemeasure

of

(he

farrnerkpunish-

ment:myoneisimmor-

talinhis

glory.

lite

latterinhis

misery.

The

Irumperoffume

which

sounds

immortulityfor

theom)heraldsdmth

for

the

other.

whois

semencetltobechoked

todeathonhisown

mvn

B.-\l,TASAl(

(iRA<‘|A.~4.

l6()l—l658

LAW 46 409