The 48 Laws Of Power

We become

predictable,always

theFirst

sign

of

decrepitude.

And

pre~

dictability

makesus

appear

comical.

Although

ridiculeanddisdain

might

seemmildformsof

attack,

they

are

actuallypotentweapons,

and

will

even~

tually

erode

a

foundation

of

power.

An

enemy

whodoesnot

respectyou

will

grow

bold,

andboldnessmakeseventhesmallestanimal

dangerous.

The

late-eighteenth-ceniniry

courtof

France,

as

exemplifiedby

Marie-

Antoinette,

hadbecomeso

hopelessly

tiedtoa

rigidformality

thatthe

average

Frenchman

thought

ita

silly

relic.This

depreciation

of 21 centuries-

oldinstitutionwasthefirst

sign

ofaterminal

disease,

forit

represented

a

symbolicloosening

ofthe

people’s

liesto

monarchy.

Asthesituationwors-

ened,

Marie-Antoinetteand

King

LouisXVI

grewonly

more

rigid

intheir

adherencetothe

past—andquickened

their

path

tothe

guillotine.King

CharlesIof

England

reacted

similarly

tothetideof

democratic

change

brewing

in

England

in

the1630s:He

disbanded

Parliament,

andhiscourt

rituals

grewincreasingly

formalanddistant. Hewantedtoreturntoan

older

style

of

ruling,

withadherencetoallkindsof

pettyprotocol.

His

rigidityonlyheightened

thedesirefor

change.

Soon,

of

course,

hewas

sweptup

ina

devastating

civil

war,

and

eventually

helosthishead

tothe

executioner’s

axe.

As

youget

older,

you

must

rely

evenlessonthe

past

Be

vigilant

lest

theform

your

characterhastakenmakes

you

seemarelic.Itisnotamatter

of

mimicking

thefashionsof

youtl1—that

is

equallyworthy

of

laughter.

Rather

your

mindmust

constantlyadapt

toeach

circumstance,

eventhein-

evitable

change

thatthetimehas

cometomoveoverandletthoseof

youngerageprepare

fortheir

ascendancy.Rigidity

will

only

make

you

look

uncannily

likeacadaver.

Never

forget,though,

thatfonnlessuessisa

strategicpose.

It

givesyou

room

tocreatetactical

surprises;

as

your

enemies

struggle

to

guessyour

next

move,

they

revealtheir

own

strategy,putting

thematadecideddisad—

vantage.

It

keeps

theinitiativeon

your

side,

puttingyour

enemiesinthe

position

ofnever

acting,

constantlyreacting.

Itfoilstheir

spying

andintelli-

gence.

Remember:Formlessnessisatool.Neverconfuseitwitha

go~with-

the~llow

style,

or

with

a

religiousresignation

tothetwistsoffortune.You

use

formlessness,

notbecauseitcreatesinner

harmony

and

peace,

butbe-

causeitwillincrease

your

power.

Finally, learning

to

adapt

toeachnewcircumstancemeans

seeing

events

throughyour

own

eyes,

andoften

ignoring

theadvicethat

people

constantlypeddleyourway.

Itmeansthat

ultimatelyyou

mustthrowout

thelawsthatothers

preach,

andthebooks

they

writetotell

you

whatto

do,

andthe

sage

adviceoftheelder.“Thelawsthat

govern

circumstancesare

abolished

by

new

circumstances,”

Napoleon

wrote,

whichmeansthatitis

up

to

you

to

gauge

eachnewsituation.

Rely

toomuchonother

people’s

ideasand

you

end

uptaking

aform

notof

your

own

making.

Toomuchre«

spect

forother

people’s

wisdomwillmake

youdepreciate

your

own.Be

brutalwiththe

past,especiallyyour

own,

andhaveno

respect

forthe

philosophies

thatarefoistedon

you

fromoutside.

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