Law one: never outshine the master.
People above feel comfortably superior. To please the master, don’t go too far in displaying talent, as timing is key. Make the leader appear more brilliant than they look.
Law two: Never put too much trust in friends. Learn how to use enemies.
Enemies will help you when you least expect it, they are more loyal than friends.
Law three: hide your intentions.
Keep people off balance and in the dark by never showing the purpose behind your actions. Show them what you want them to see but never where you want to go.
Law four: Always say less than required.
Speak less, the more you say then, the more familiar you appear and the less in control. Powerful people intimate and impress by saying less. The more you speak, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Law five: reputation is everything. Guard it with your life.
You are powerful with an excellent reputation; once it slips, you are vulnerable and will quickly be attacked. Always be alert and be prepared. See the weaknesses in others quickly.
Law six: court attention at all costs
Try to get the right amount of attention by remaining mysterious rather than being bland like the masses.
Law seven: get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit
Use wisdom, knowledge, and legwork to help save time and energy to get yourself further along.
Law eight: make other people come to you – use bait if required.
It’s better for people to come to you rather than the other way around.
Law nine: Win through action, never through argument
Your hard work and actions speak louder than words; get others to agree with you through action rather than saying a word
Law ten: avoid the unhappy and unlucky
Avoid negative people; people who complain spread like disease. Be around the happy people that motivate and inspire.
Law eleven: learn to keep dependent on you
To keep independence, its required that people need and want you.
Law twelve: us selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim
One sincere and honest gesture will bring guard the most suspicious people. With a timely gift, then you can manipulate and deceive others.
Law thirteen: when asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest. Never to their mercy or gratitude
Don’t go to allies for past assistance or good deeds; look at something that would benefit them.
Law fourteen: pose as a friend, work as a spy
Get valuable information to get a step ahead, probe, and ask open-ended questions
Law fifteen: crush your enemy totally
Law sixteen: use absence to increase respect and honour.
The more your seen and heard then, the more common you appear; learn when to leave. People will talk about you in admiration.
Law seventeen: keep others in suspense: cultivate an air of unpredictability.
Predictability gives others a sense of control; turn the tables and become unpredictable, and others will feel intimated.
Law eighteen: do not build fortresses to protect yourself – isolation is dangerous.
You must establish some allies and mingle
Law nineteen: know who you’re dealing with – do not offend the wrong person
Some will take it too personally and will spend all their time and effort seeking revenge; it is not worth it; choose battles carefully with some.
Law twenty: do not commit to anyone.
Never commit to any cause or anyone but yourself
Law twenty-one: Play a sucker to catch a sucker – seem dumber than your mark
Make your victims feel like they are smarter than you; once they feel in control, they will never suspect you have other motives.
Law twenty-two: us the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power.
Law twenty-three: concentrate your forces.
Put your energies and time focused on their strongest point – don’t focus on the shallow
Law twenty-four: play the perfect courtier.
Focus on flattery yields to superiors and exert power over others in an oblique and graceful manner.
Law twenty-five: re-create yourself.
Don’t conform; instead, create a new identity.
Law twenty-six: keep your hands clean
Never show that you do nasty deeds or have bad intentions for others; make others help you appear great.
Law twenty-seven: play on people’s need to believe to create a cult-like following.
Keep your words vague but full of promise, build enthusiasm over rationality,
Law twenty-eight: enter action with boldness.
If unsure, then don’t attempt, better to enter with boldness, then you will learn. Everyone admires the bold, not the intimated.
Law twenty-nine: plan all the way to the end.
The ending is everything by considering the obstacles, misfortunes and twists and turns that might reverse hard work and give glory to others.
Law thirty: make your accomplishments seem effortless.
Actions should look effortless and easy, as though you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of telling others how hard you work, as it only causes questions. Teach no one your tricks, or they will use them against you.
Law thirty-one: control the options, get others to play with the cards you deal
The best deceptions are the ones where the victims feel they are in control and given a choice, but are actually your puppets.
Law thirty-two: play to people’s fantasies
Try to get people to play into fantasies – people don’t like truth and the difficulties of reality
Law thirty-three: discover each man’s weaknesses.
It’s usually insecurity, uncontrollable emotion, certain needs or a small secret pleasure
Law thirsty-four: be royal in your own fashion, act like a king to be treated like one
The way you carry yourself will often show how you are treated; being common makes people disrespect you, as strong behaviours will indicate that you are destined to wear a crown
Law thirsty-five: master the art of timing.
Don’t hurry, as it shows a lack of control and time, instead be patient and learn to stand back and strike at the right time
Law thirty-six: disdain things you cannot have, ignoring them is the best revenge
Ignore petty problems, as somethings are best left alone
Law thirst-seven: Create compelling spectacles.
Striking imagery and grand gestures create a powerful aura
Law thirsty eight: think as you like – but behave like others.
Don’t make people feel inferior. They will punish you, instead blend in with common folks only share ideas with tolerant friends who will appreciate your uniqueness.
Law thirsty nine: steer up waters to catch fish.
Anger and emotions are counterproductive; rather, stay calm and objective to get your enemies off balance whilst remaining calm yourself.
Law forty: despise the free lunch
What is offered for free is usually dangerous, either a trick or a hidden obligation that has worth is worth paying for. By paying the total price of your own, you stay clear of gratitude, guilt and deceit. Generosity is a sign of power over others.
Law forty-one: avoid stepping on the great one’s shoes.
Establish your own identity, not the same as your superiors
Law forty-two: strike the shepherded, and the sheep will scatter.
Law forty-three: work on the hearts and minds of others
You must seduce others; they become loyal pawns. The way to seduce others is to operate on individual weakness, work on their emotions and, what they hold dear, also identify their fears. However, ignore the minds and hearts of others, and they will hate you.
Law forty-four: disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
Mirror others and do what they do; they won’t be able to figure out your strategy, mock and humiliate them by seducing them with the illusion of their own values. This will teach them a lesson.
Law forty-five: Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once
Law 46: never appear too perfect.
Never appear to have no faults as it will create silent enemies and, once in a while, show harmless devices to show a more human and approachable side.
Law 47: do not go past the mark you aimed for, in victory, know when to stop
Don’t allow success to go to your head to create arrogance. Always remain humble.
Law 48: assume formlessness.
Remain adaptable as nothing is certain, and no law is certain; everything changes