The 48 Laws Of Power

onesideinsome

ideologicalstruggle,

sheissaidtobe

acting

outofemo-

tionalattachment.Yetifshe
represses

heremotionsand

plays

theauthori-

tarian,

inthemale

fashion,

shearousesworsecriticismstill.

Either

by

natureor

byexperience,

then,

queens

tendto

adopt

a

flexible

style

of

gov-

erning

thatin

the

endoften

proves

more

powerful

thanthemore

direct,

maleform.

Twofemaleleaders

exemplifying

theforxnless

style

ofruleare

Queen

Elizabethof

England

and

Empress

CatherinetheGreatofRussia.Inthevi-

olentwarsbetweenCatholicsand

Protestants,

Elizabeth

steeredamiddle

course.Sheavoidedalliancesthatwouldcommithertoone

side,

andthat

overtimewouldharmthe
country.

She

managed

to

keep

her

country

at

peace

untilitwas

strongenough

forwar.Her

reign

wasoneofthemost

glo-

riousin

history

becauseofherincredible

capacity

to

adapt

andherflexible

ideology.

CatherinetheGreattooevolvedan

improvisatorystyle

of

governing.

Aflershe

deposed

her

husband,

Emperor

Peter

H,

taking

solecontrolof

Russiain

1762,

noone

thought

shewouldsurvive.Butshehadno

precon»

ceived

ideas,

no

philosophy

or

theory

todictateher

policies.Although

a

foreigner

(she

camefrom

Germany),

sheunderstoodRussia’s

moods,

and

howitwas

changing

overthe

years.

“Onemust

govern

insucha

way

that

one’s

people

think

they

themselveswanttodowhatonecommandsthem

to

do,”

she

said,

andtodothisshehadtobe

always

a

step

aheadoftheir

desiresandto

adapt

totheirresistance.

By

never

forcing

the

issue,

shere«

formed

Russiaina

strikingly

short

period

oftime.

This

feminine,

fomiless

style

of

rulingmay

have

emerged

asa

way

of

prospering

underdifficult

circumstances,

butithas

proved

immensely

se-

ductivetothosewhohaveservedunderit.

Beingfluid,

itis

relativelyeasy

forits

subjects

to

obey,

for

they

feelless

coerced,

lessbenttotheirmler’s

ideology.

Italso

opensupoptions

whereanadherencetoadoctrinecloses

themoff.Without

committing

toone

side,

itallows

therulerto

play

one

enemy

offanother.

Rigid

rulers

may

seem

strong,

but

with

timetheirin-

flexibility

wearsonthe

nerves,

andtheir

subjects

find

ways

to

push

them

fromthe

stage.

Fle>u'ble,

formlessrulerswillbemuch

criticized,

but

they

will

endure,

and

people

will

eventually

come

to

identify

with

them,

since

they

areastheir

subjectsare--changing

withthe

wind,

open

to

circum-

stance.

Despiteupsets

and

delays,

the

permeablestyle

of

powergenerally

tri~

umphs

in

the

end,

just

asAthens

eventually

won

victory

over

Sparta

through

its

money

anditsculture.When

you

find

yourself

in

conflict

with

someone

stronger

andmore

rigid,

allowthem

a

momentaryvictory.

Seem

tobowtotheir

superiority.

Then,

by

being

formlessand

adaptable,slowly

insinuate

yourself

intotheirsoul.This

wayyou

willcatchthemoff

guard,

for

rigidpeople

are

alwaysready

towardof‘!directblowsbutare

helpless

against

thesubtleand

insinuating.

Tosucceed

atsucha

strategyyou

must

play

thecha.meleon—conformonthe

surface,

while

breaking

down

your

enemy

fromtheinside.

LAW 48 E 427