The 48 laws of power

... Stumbled upon the book with this title.. Sounds like a really sad culturally constructed product (the book), reflecting a sad culture:

Some of the laws

Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies.
Conceal your intentions.
Always say less than necessary.
Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
Make other people come to you; use bait if necessary.
Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
Learn to keep people dependent on you.
Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
Pose as a friend, work as a spy.
Crush your enemy totally.
Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability.
Do not commit to anyone.
Play a sucker to catch a sucker: play dumber than your mark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_48_...er#The_48_Laws


Maybe the "laws" are useful in some settings to actually survive and avoid being exploited.. What are the spiritual laws that would work equally good or better, I start to ponder..

Edit: Interesting quote from wikipedia: "The 48 Laws of Power is taught in business management classes and is one of the most requested books in American prison libraries."

[running]

Originally Posted by DeepForest

... Stumbled upon the book with this title.. Sounds like a really sad culturally constructed product (the book), reflecting a sad culture:

Some of the laws


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_48_...er#The_48_Laws


Maybe the "laws" are useful in some settings to actually survive and avoid being exploited.. What are the spiritual laws that would work equally good or better, I start to ponder..

Edit: Interesting quote from wikipedia: "The 48 Laws of Power is taught in business management classes and is one of the most requested books in American prison libraries."

Doesn't have to be that way. That's just a bunch of bull. I started and operated two small business's where I literally gave a service away no strings attached. Almost everybody recpricated by offering referring or finding additional work. I also had a 100 percent money back unconditional guarantee. I left myself open in every way I could come up with.

My income was phenomenal over night it seemed. To me anyways. But in any case ethics put me at the top within six months in my area. Good ethics works very well. The problem with people is they don't believe it does. So they go some other route. But dollar for dollar I pick leaving myself wide open over anything else.

Everyone, especially the newspapers, yellow page reps, and other marketing mediums gave me a lecture about how my marketing and ideas wouldnt work. But despite all that they made a great deal of money off me. Because it worked. So they and others no longer questioned me. I was the proof it works.

The author seems like an awful leader. Sad...

Hmm take the book for what its worth. Ive read other books from Robert Greene and they are actually very insightful at a certain level. That book is machiavellian to the extreme. But its helpful in seeing the world in a specific perspective. Many of those from that list quoted above are of course a bit crass but they serve as reminders for human relationships and how some people might function. I think of books like this more of an intellectual pursuit rather then a practical guide to life. Books like this are on one end of a large spectrum and need to be tempered with other sources. When you look at some of these concepts more closely not taking them at face value they are pointers for larger concepts in respect to social relationships. Funny that its requested in prisons although I guess its not much of a surprise given the content. Mostly it seems like these "Laws" are Ego vilified or something.. I dont know I just think its interesting.

He has other books like the The Art of Seduction, 33 Strategies of War and The 50th Law. The Art of Seduction is a very entertaining read and I highly recommend it.

These are the chapter headings for The 50th Law:

See Things for What They Are – Intense Realism
Make Everything Your Own – Self-Reliance
Turn it into Sugar – Opportunism
Keep Moving – Calculated Momentum
Know When to Be Bad – Aggression
Lead from the Front – Authority
Know Your Environment from the Inside Out – Connection
Respect the Process – Mastery
Push Beyond Your Limits – Self-Belief

Most of these styled books I think would relate to self help/life hacking/pushing limits and moving yourself forward....

In respect to spiritual laws.. lol thats a good question..I have no idea..Freedom from outcome + Intent? But I think everyone can benefit from a bit of taboo material. So much of spirituality is soft.. but its when we find things that strike us and make us twist...this is where we need to look. Get books on terrible things - consider thoughts that boarder on insanity and play them out. Be the heretic. Put death in your back pocket. What ever spirituality is for someone there is always more to dig and turn within to unfold that darkness and turn it to light. Till then these little critters lay dormant as demons to eat away our energy.

But in respect to transcending ego.....or spiritual matters in general id say these books are nearly useless.

Nice post thanks for bring that book up I read it ages ago - fun to recall.

edited by SF staff