Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to,they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path,envelope them in enough smoke,and by the time they realize your intentions,it will be too late.
Law 5
So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip,however,you are vulnerable,and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile,learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
Law 6
Court Attention at all Cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd,then,or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous,at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger,more colorful,more mysterious,than the bland and timid masses.
Law 7
Get others to do the Work for you,but Always Take the Credit
Use the wisdom,knowledge,and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy,it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
Law 22
Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
When you are weaker,never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover,time to torment and irritate your conqueror,time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.
Law 26
Keep Your Hands Clean
You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.
Law 27
Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause,a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform,ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes,your new belief system will bring you untold power.
Law 31
Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal
The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control,but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils,both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.
Law 45
Preach the Need for Change,but Never Reform too much at Once
Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract,but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic,and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power,or an outsider trying to build a power base,make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary,make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.
Law 47
Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory,Learn when to Stop
The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory,arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for,and by going too far,you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal,and when you reach it,stop.
'Don't question GOD,as he may say,if you are so eager for answers,then please come up'.