Robert Greene, author of *The 48 Laws of Power*, starts from a clear and candid premise: the pursuit of power is logical

—indeed, human. People have a desire to control others and bring them under their influence, and the less power they have over them, the more depressed and unhappy they become.

But gaining power only leads to seeking more of it. As a human being, then, you should strive to influence

others. This is not about coercion or subjugation in the literal sense of those words; rather, the power he describes

Robert Greene says it leads people to willingly submit to you.

So, *The 48 Laws of Power* tries to show you how you can become powerful and gain authority over others.

Read also:10 Powerful Habits That Can Make You a Millionaire

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The Intelligence of Trust and the Value of Enmity

The goal of *The 48 Laws of Power* is to help you achieve your own goals and desires.

through a form of power over others that is symbolic and subtle. But striving to be influential and effective does not mean being violent.

And confrontationally, the opposite is always what’s called for.

In *The 48 Laws of Power*, Robert Greene strongly advises you never to outshine your superiors or make them feel weak or helpless.

There’s no doubt that every one of us has a set of flaws, but despite that, no one likes to have them pointed out.

أحد غيره.

If you make your managers or leaders feel weak or inferior to you, you’ll provoke their resentment and turn them against you—and perhaps

drive them to crush you. Be smart, and fight only when you’re sure you’ll win. Also remember:

“The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest danger.”

But you need enemies, too; their presence matters. They’re always compelled to justify themselves to you and prove their loyalty—and that

in itself is important, because it gives you a way to uncover what’s really going on inside them. The more intelligent your enemies are, the luckier you are.

عن حق.

Enmity matters for another reason, too: it keeps you from the dangers of trust. Trust can lead to ruin. You may trust someone, only for them to betray you

later. With an enemy, by contrast, you’ll stay alert to them at all times, and so you’ll be safe from them. A stab in the back always hurts more.

And, of course, wisdom means keeping your goals secret and not telling anyone. No one—whoever they are—can stand in your way if they don’t

know what you’re trying to achieve in the first place. Even if people are taken by surprise when you reach your goals, it will be too late to stop you.

أو عرقلتك.

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Read also:7 Powerful Questions That a Successful Leader Asks

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Power, Silence, and Attention

The author of *The 48 Laws of Power* never explicitly discussed this three-way relationship, but you can easily infer it from

the author’s successive arguments. So what is it? Haven’t you noticed that the more powerful someone is, the quieter they tend to be?

The weak are talkative and loquacious, while the powerful are grounded and measured in speech. They speak when necessary, and only about what is

useful. As the old sayings go, “A person is hidden beneath their tongue” and “Speak, so that I may know you.” Don’t reveal your flaws and shortcomings by talking too much.

Talk exposes your weaknesses and shortcomings, so say only what is necessary.

But what about the matter of attention? First, by that we mean other people’s attention toward you—being the focus of their interest. For someone to be

Living in the shadows—like the characters in Juan José Millás’s books—may be tempting and comfortable, but it offers little in the way of rewards.

If you’re quiet, keep to yourself, and do only what’s necessary when dealing with others, while otherwise immersing yourself in

thoughts about your personal goals and ambitions, you can be sure others will take an interest in you. They want to understand you, to

fit you into their ready-made molds.

And remember: the absent are the most powerfully present—or, as Milan Kundera puts it in his novel *The Joke*:

“The unattainable is always, first and foremost, the object of a burning desire.”

The more distant and enigmatic you are, the more others will be interested in you and focus on you—mystery is captivating. But make sure that their interest

in you or their focus on you is not an end in itself. It can sometimes get in the way. The goal is to use

that focus to your advantage and enlist it to help you achieve your goals and interests.

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Read also:How to Build a Strong Name for Yourself on Social Media in 5 Steps

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People Are Pieces on a Chessboard

Are you really capable of operating this way—of seeing everyone as a piece on a chessboard of your own making,

with you in control? It’s a good approach—as long as you stay within ethical bounds—but it takes considerable intelligence.

First: You don’t need to go confront your opponent on their own turf. You only need to entice them, draw them onto yours, and then strip them of everything

Your weapons. Haste is never a good thing. But if you can get your opponents to move according to your carefully laid plan, it will be easy

for you to overcome them.

You should also make your actions the “bait” that draws people to you. Words alone won’t get the job done, and they won’t

get you anywhere. Big words often backfire, while actions speak louder and have a more lasting impact.

When you act with honesty, sincerity, and integrity, people will trust you—and then they’ll truly be on your chessboard.

One point we should emphasize as we conclude our interpretation of *The 48 Laws of Power* is that all the rules set out here—which

There are 48 rules. They should be grounded in an ethical framework and stem from ethical contexts.

On the other hand, don’t expect to master and apply all these rules at once. It takes time,

and the author himself recommends devoting one day to each rule. In any case, this is a book to read regularly and at intervals

that are close together. It’s your guide to navigating societies full of people and conflict.