summary of the 48 laws of power
I. Keep Your Job Safe
Don’t ever outshine the master.
For example, Satya Nadella brought Microsoft back to life while honoring Bill Gates’ work.
Don’t put too much faith in your friends.
Modern Twist: When money is involved, business partners often sue each other.
Hide What You Want
Poker players hide tells, and negotiators hide walk-away points.
II. Win by using a plan
Say Less Than You Need to
Why: Elon Musk’s tweets that don’t make sense get more attention than press releases.
Reputation is very important.
Case: Oprah’s brand stayed strong through scandals by being very careful about its image.
Get Attention at All Costs
Tool: Viral stunts, like Prime Energy’s Logan Paul launch.
III. Take Advantage of Weaknesses
Get Other People to Do the Work
Corporate Hack: CEOs give “hard choices” to VPs.
Get People to Come to You
Dating Analogue: Making it hard to win makes it seem more valuable.
Do Things to Win, Not Arguments
Proof: Apple’s products shut critics up better than press releases.
IV. Control how people see things
Infection: Stay Away from the Unhappy
Negative coworkers lower team productivity by 30%.
Make People Depend on You
Example from tech: Apple’s ecosystem keeps people using iPhones and Macs.
Be Selectively Honest
Play: Being honest about small mistakes to seem trustworthy (like when you sell a car).
V. Use Time to Your Advantage Appeal to Self-Interest
When negotiating, think of deals as “What’s in it for them?”
Act like a friend and work like a spy
Be careful: “360 reviews” at work often stab you in the back.
Completely Destroy Your Enemy
Business: Amazon’s cutthroat prices put small stores out of business.
VI. Master Deception
Use Absence to Get More Respect
Celebrity Hack: Beyoncé’s few interviews make her seem more mysterious.
Keep Other People Guessing
Politics: Rivals can’t keep up with Putin’s unpredictable moves.
Don’t Build Fortresses
Lesson for startups: Blockbuster went out of business because it didn’t pay attention to streaming.
VII. Freedom of Command
Know Who You’re Working With
Psychology: Narcissists like flattery, while empaths like kindness.
Don’t make a promise to anyone
Switzerland’s neutrality made it a global banking center.
Play a Fool to Catch a Fool
Con: Bernie Madoff’s returns that were “too good to be true.”
VIII. Rule without violence
Tactically Give Up
War: Ukraine’s retreat from Kyiv led Russia into traps.
Put Forces Together
Business: Nike’s “Just Do It” focus was better than Reebok’s variety.
Be the Perfect Courtier
Royal Hack: Meghan Markle’s first PR wins and later mistakes.
IX. Last longer than your enemies
Make Yourself Again
Rebrand: Madonna has changed her image over the past 40 years.
Wash Your Hands
Politics: Biden’s “plausible deniability” about secret papers.
Play on the Need to Believe
Cults: People who believe in Tesla stock don’t care about the numbers.
X. Know When to Go In
Theater: The famous pacing of Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch.
Make a plan all the way to the end
Chess: Magnus Carlsen’s 20-move prediction.
Make Achievements Look Easy
“Overnight success” myths on social media hide years of hard work.
XI. Control Your Emotions Control Your Options
Sales: “Only 2 left!” makes people want to buy right away.
Play to Your Fantasies
Marketing: High-end brands don’t sell things; they sell dreams.
Find the Thumb Screw on Each Man
Blackmail: Harvey Weinstein’s ways of scaring people.
XII. Break the Rules of Thought and Be Royal in Your Actions
Image: Rihanna’s Fenty empire is based on being unapologetically confident.
Timing is Everything
Warren Buffett says, “Be afraid when others are greedy.”
Don’t want what you can’t have
“Sour grapes” is a way to protect your self-esteem in psychology.
XIII. Turn Weakness into Strength Make Interesting Shows
PR: Trump’s rallies are like plays.
Change Your Mind
Airbnb’s “rent air mattresses” is a silly but brilliant idea.
Stir the water to catch fish
Media: Tucker Carlson’s ratings grabs that make people angry.
XIV. Use scarcity to your advantage
Hate the Free Lunch
Data: “Free” apps make money by getting your attention.
Don’t step into great shoes
Sports: Coaching after great players (like the post-Jordan Bulls).
Hit the Shepherd
Revolution: Cutting off the heads of leaders puts down rebellions.
XV. The Most Powerful Moves Work on Hearts and Minds
Jim Jones’ ways of controlling cult leaders.
Disarm with Mirroring
FBI Tip: Copy someone’s body language to get along with them.
Talk about change, but do things the way they have always been done.
Politics: Campaign slogans vs. the way things are run now.
XVI. Final Laws Should Never Look Too Good
Celebrity: Tom Hanks’ “nice guy” image keeps people from being jealous.
Don’t go too far when you win
History: Napoleon’s deadly invasion of Russia.
Take on Formlessness
Meta Rule: Change like water; there is no set way to attack.
Three Important Keys to Following the Laws Use Law 6 (Court Attention) for branding and Law 4 (Say Less) for negotiations.
Ethical Filters:
Defensive: Laws 1–3 effectively prevent office politics.
Offensive: Laws 15 and 33 could lead to moral decay.
Long game: Law 29 (plan to end) wins over short-term tricks.