Group T526 Review of The 48 Laws of Power, Law 27-34
Luke Barasa
HealthTech Innovations|Public Health|Health Policy & Planning|Strategic Partnerships|Digital Health|Drone Logistics|Operations Management
December 08, 2024 was another day for Group T526 of The Men's Book Breakfast ~ The MBB to gather and draw insights from The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Our discussion focused on chapters 27 - 34 of the book and here are a few takeaways.
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.
But, how do you create a cult?
- Create a Cause: Offer people something to believe in—a vision or ideology that gives their lives meaning. This creates a sense of belonging and loyalty.
- Emulate organized religion formalities to structure the group: Create rituals, organize followers into hierarchy, rank them in grades of sanctity, give them names and titles, ask them for sacrifices that fill your coffers and increase your power.?Talk and act like a prophet.
- Promise the Impossible: People want miracles; feed their hopes with bold promises, even if unattainable.
- Set Up an Us-Versus-Them Dynamic: first make sure your followers believe they are part of an exclusive club, unified by common goals.?Then, manufacture the notion of a devious enemy out to ruin you.
People are not interested in the truth about change - that it requires hard work - but rather they are dying to believe something romantic, otherworldly.
Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness
If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.
Why boldness?
- It helps you dominate situations and take control of next events.
- It embalsms fear, which in turn creates authority.
- It sets the tone for any course, triggering natural alignment.
- Audacity separates you from the herd. You'll easily draw attention and appear larger than life [center of attention].
Remember: The problems created by an audacious move can be disguised, even remedied, by more and greater audacity.
Law 29: Plan All the Way to the End.
The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.
- The end justifies the means, it's more important and, must be defined and kept in mind all time when pursuing any venture.
Law 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless.
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.
This is the billionaires law. To master it, do the following:-
- Conceal your efforts - Let your fortunes seem natural and talent innate.
- Master the art of grace - Never seem under pressure even if you're in tense situations. Compose yourself and appear in control, always.
- Say less than necessary - Avoid over-explaining and never reveal your processes.
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.
What does control look like?
- Limit Choices: Present people with options that all benefit you, making them feel empowered while steering them to your desired outcome.
- Frame the Debate: Shape the narrative to align with your goals, influencing how others perceive their choices.
- Plan for All Outcomes: Set up options where every possible choice aligns with your interests.
- Exploit Indecisiveness: When others hesitate, provide clear choices to guide them in your direction.
Law 32: Play to People’s Fantasies.
The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.
How?
- Offer Escapism: Feed people's desires for an idealized reality rather than mundane truth.
- Exploit Discontent: Address dissatisfaction by promising transformative solutions.
- Be Vague Yet Alluring: Mystify with abstract ideas that invite projection and imagination.
Law 33: Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew.
Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.
How do you find people's weaknesses?
- Identify Weak Spots: Understand what motivates or undermines each individual—fear, need, or desire.
- Exploit Vulnerabilities: Use a person’s weaknesses to influence or control them.
- Observe Closely: Pay attention to behavior, language, and preferences to uncover hidden drives.
Law 34: Be Royal in Your Own Fashion: Act Like a King to Be Treated Like One.
The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.
How?
All the things you imagine you can be, can actually be, if you choose to believe and act accordingly.
Use the strategy of the Crown - If we believe we are destined for great things, our belief will radiate outward, just as a crown creates an aura around a king.
You can achieve this by:-
- Exuding Confidence: Behave with self-assurance and dignity to command respect and admiration.
- Demanding Respect: Set high expectations for how others treat you by refusing to tolerate disrespect.
- Projecting Grandeur: Create an aura of authority and exclusivity through your actions, appearance, and demeanor.
Next week, our deepdive continues.