But there’s one issue: in a maxed out schedule of classes, networking, informational sessions, speaker series, interviews that all lead inevitably towards a great high-paying job post graduation, why would I sacrifice or hold to an event that’s “fun” when there are events that might possibly be the one to accelerate my career?
It’s a tough sell, especially during peak recruiting season. The ability to get people to show up to events (often times a major scoring component is based on number of participants from your group) is a unique skill that combines a little bit of humor with sympathy, humor, pleading, a touch of actual excitement, luck, and most important–proper timing.
The reality is, attending a cluster cup event is about as low on the wrung of things people can be doing, that it begs the question why should I? The issue is that there is no implicit leverage to getting participants to come out. In fact, most of the other events are the ones with leverage (meet this person, possible interview/job, finish homework early so I can get some sleep tonight, etc.)
So how do you get leverage? Oftentimes, it must be created.
In his book 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene details through historical anecdotes, studies, and research, the different ways to harness (or defend against) power plays.
Perhaps I should take his advice and apply what is relevant to my own situation with the Cluster Cup…let’s see how applicable they are:
- There is this misconception that playing power games is evil
- But, pretending/making a show of weakness is a power game tool as well
- “Naïve about power games”: effective means of deceit
- Those who make or show their innocence are least innocent of all
- Demanding equality means ignoring people’s differences, suppress those who excel and gain power in deciding how to redistribute the wealth
- “Just be honest”: honesty is a form of persuasion, even coercion
- Must master emotions: anger is most destructive of them: love should never influence your plans or strategies
- “No days unalert” instead of spending time daydreaming of happy ending, must calculate all permutations and pitfalls that might emerge
- Never repeat a mistake, never fall into same trap
- Deception is most potent power weapon, patience is best tool
- Power is a game: it is amoral
- Half the game is what you choose not to do, all things have a cost, reach your goal, but at what cost
- Learn to take indirect route to power
- Study laws to evaluate own past actions and control future affairs
- Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good
- Never outshine the master
- Make them feel comfortably superior
- Do not go too far in displaying your talents: insecurity among master
- Make masters appear more brilliant than they are
- Do not spend life worrying about people’s petty insecurities, except those above you, thing have not changed since time of kings and queens
- You can inadvertently outshine by just being yourself
- Must learn to avoid monsters of vanity
- Never imagine that if a boss loves you it means you can do anything you want
- Never take position for granted nor let favors go to you head
- Discreet flatter is the best
- Make him/h er appear more intelligent, in need of his/her expertise, make your good ideas as they were actually his, your jokes his
- Must be selectively cruel: if mast is falling, outshine, out do, out smart at key moment
- But if really weak, let him fall on own
- IMAGE: stars in sky, but only one sun
- Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies
- Friends are easier to arouse envy, spoil, and tyrannical
- Fear friends, make enemies
- Hire a former enemy and he will be much more loyal, more to prove
- Friends forget favors and imagine they received their success through own merits
- While a friend expects more and more favors and seethes with jealousy, former enemies expect nothing and give everything
- You often don’t know friends as well as enemies, they agree to avoid argument
- Without enemies we grow lazy
- Whenever you can, bury hatchet with enemy and put him in your services
- Pick up a bee from kindness and learn the limitations of kindness
- Keep enemy
- If know can defeat him
- If none, create one
- Use enemy to define your cause more clearly to public
- Better off with one or two declared enemies than no knowing where they lie
- Use friends: for dirty work, if caught, easy scapegoat, no one would think you’d put best friend on chopping block
- Nothing is stable in realm of power, even best of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies
- IMAGE: Jaws of ingratitude
- Conceal your intentions
- Keep people off balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions
- If they have no clue, they can’t prepare a defense
- Guide them far enough down the wrong path, in enough smoke and it will be too late once they find out
- Use false sincerity, ambiguous signals, misleading objects of desires
- Nin de Lenclos: help with seducing, jealous, unsure, appear irregularly, but then confessed love and spell broke
- Everything in seduction is about suggestion, do not directly announce
- Bismarck: blood thirsty, advocated peace, promoted by his stance, and influence a war, war he wanted
- Most people are open books: makes them predictable
- Easy and natural to talk about feelings and future plans
- Many believe being honest is good feelings to others
- In fact more blunt and hurts more
- Our first instinct is to always trust appearances: focus on decoy, ignore what trying to do: actively do it
- Support idea that is contrary to what you want
- Don’t be secretive, announce false intentions loudly
- Appear friendly and honest, concede intentions, send rivals on goose chase
- False sincerity: make people believe you’re all about sincerity and honesty
- Occasionally divulge a heartfelt secret though that is really useless
- Smokescreen: familiar, inconspicuous front is the best, lull them into web
- Smokescreens: noble gesture, blend in (soviet spies)
- Pattern: Gould, sell, new company sell, sell, takeover
- When people can’t read you, they’re drawn in
- IMAGE: Sheep’s skin for a fox
- Smokescreens: noble gesture, blend in (soviet spies)
- Always say less than necessary
- When trying to impress with words, more you say, more common you appear and less in control
- Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less
- Coriolanus: military hero, shoe in leader, opened mouth, arrogant, banished
- Louis XIV: courtiers labored over issue, argued case once to Louis “I shall see” and did what he decided, never counseled them
- Silence makes people uncomfortable, want to know what you’re thinking, they’ll jump in and fill silence with all kinds of valuable comments
- Warhol: few vague/ambiguous responses, interviewer and public would fill in gaps and make much more profound
- Be particularly careful with sarcasm
- IMAGE: Oracle of Delphi, said little interpreted a lot/mystical
- Suspicion and doubt about your abilities if you are silent among superiors
- Can use words as smokescreen to mesmerize
- Reputation: so much depends on it, guard it
- Cornerstone of power
- Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen
- Learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations and let public opinion hang them
- Lian: 100 troops vs. 150k, opened gate and played lute, enemy left thinking trap
- Barnum: museum of Peale, Barnum attacked reputation, got museum back, then Peale hypnosis, Barnum mocked and ridiculed
- Doubt is powerful weapon: they defend reputation still rumors floating, they do nothing it’s a sign of guild
- We want to believe we know who people are and so judge based on what can: appearance
- Wei: peach, carriage, favor, ok, out of favor, paid for it
- Work to establish a reputation and generosity, honesty, cunning, etc. pick one then spread around subtly
- Honest is best if want to use deception
- If has a stained reputation, use another’s to ride
- Robber barons’ and art, associate with great artist like da Vinci to boost their bad image
- Once you have it, do not get angry/defensive, will look insecure
- Great tactic to attack big guy if have less power
- Use subtler tactics to avoid attacks on reputation
- Edison vs. Tesla: electrocuted animals and execution had to be redone
- IMAGE: Mine of diamonds: once have protect at all costs as people will come for it
- No exceptions to law
- Court attention at all costs
- Everything is judged by appearance, what is unseen counts for nothing
- Create an unforgettable even controversial image, better to be slandered than ignored
- PT Barnum: suit, rumor infamous killer, attacked by crowd as lead to circus, sold out
- Once you have eyes on you, have special legitimacy: crowd acts as one, do something odd/different
- Quality of attention doesn’t matter at first, just need an image to attach self to
- Louis XIV and Cuck: insolent but wanted him there still
- If low, attack most visible powerful person you can: use sparingly though
- People feel superior to those they can predict
- Once in limelight, must constantly redefine, predictable is boring
- Pablo Picasso: if thought to be too predictable, throw everything opposite
- Create an air of mystery: never make it too clear what you are doing or about to do
- Create an air of mystery: never make it too clear what you are doing or about to do
- Mata Hari: veils, seduction, exotic, changing story, actually just regular Holland Girl
- People are enthralled by mystery, invites constant interpretations that cannot be grasped
- Those interpreting are put in less powerful position than those who act
- World has become so predictable
- Do not have to be flashy or mysterious, just every now and again at in a way that doesn’t mesh with other’s expectation of you
- IMAGE: dance of veils
- Reversal: never tire public with too much same stuff, nor too mysterious to be interpreted as deceit
- Never offend or try to steal limelight of those more powerful than you
- Get others to do the work, but always take the credit
- Never do yourself what others can do for you
- Tesla: Edison, buyout, patents stole, no credit
- Tortoise: rope tied elephant to hippo told both he was stronger, each didn’t know other was attached, thought tortoise, draw, conceded to tortoise
- Credit for an invention is as important or more as the invention itself
- Learn to take advantage of other people’s work to further your cause
- If try to do all on own, run self ragged, waste of time: fools say they learn by experience, I prefer to profit by other’s experience
- Once power base established, become vulture and save a lot of time and energy
- Pizarro: Balboa, El Dorado, word got out, got Balboa killed and did it himself
- Find people with skills and creativity you lack, hire them and put your name on it first or make your own
- OR use past storehouse of knowledge and wisdom like Shakespeare did Plutarch for plays
- IMAGE: vulture: do not fight him, join him
- Reversal: be sure to let other people share credit or give it up especially with a boss
- Make other people come to you
- When you force other person to act, you are in control, they abandon their plans
- Talleyrand: Napoleon, escaped prison, took back over, failed, banished for good
- Aggressive person is rarely in control, cannot see more than a few steps ahead
- Keep calm and let others be frustrated and come to you; so master your emotions and play on people’s tendency to react angrily when pushed and baited
- When make other person come to you
- He tires: Russia attack Japan, long journey and lost
- He gets nervous and makes mistakes
- Manipulation is a dangerous game: lure them to come to you, makes think they’re in control
- Pick pockets: beware of them sign, people touch where wallet is to check
- Sometimes better to force their hand
- 2 painters: 1 because of connections, so other “ill” and they realized he was useless and fired him, cured
- IMAGE: honey bear trap
- Reversal: sometimes striking aggressively is good: demoralizes, they’ll be ill prepared, etc.
- If time is ok and equal strength, let them come; if enemy is weaker, waiting only enables them to recover
- Win through actions, never through arguments
- Even if win argument, they may have ill will which lasts longer than any change in opinion
- Much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions
- Military engineer: bigger/smaller battering ram, defied captain explained why, killed
- When argue with superior and win, demonstrate higher knowledge; they don’t like that and exact revenge
- Michelangelo: sculpture, nose, dust, did nothing to sculpture but appeased boss, “looks better”
- Judge your moves on their long term effect on other people
- Words are a dime a doze, actions much more powerful
- IMAGE: Seesaw: up down, get no where
- Reversal: argument is great to distract and cover tracks, when caught in lie, because distracts them
- Lustig: phony box prints money, gun, what do you mean not working, deny, obfuscate, let go
- Infection: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky
- You can die from someone else’s misery
- Emotional states are infectious as disease
- The unfortunate draws misfortune on themselves and will to you: find the happy and fortunate
- Marie Gilbert: Lola, man after man she clawed on to and destroyed their lives
- Stems from inward instability that radiates outward drawing disaster upon itself and those who associate
- Only 1 solution: quarantine, but by then it’s too late, learn by the affects they have on world, not problems they claim to have
- So associate with those of happiness, good cheer, generous souls attain greatness
- IMAGE: virus
- No reversal
- Keep people dependent on you
- Never teach them enough so that they can do without you
- Condottieri: would get rid of best hit men because they’re replaceable with cheaper, less powerful ones
- Be the only one who can do what you do and entwine yourself so much that they can’t get rid of you
- Bismarck: William, sided when weak, promoted, became right hand man, threatened leaving, got his way because indispensable
- Joining forces with powerful can be foolish: they will eat you up, they don’t depend on you, so find weak ones
- Highest level of power: it is not independence because have no one for you to control
- Astrologer: “I shall die, just 3 days before you” to king who was about to kill him
- Intensive: your skills alone valuable, extensive: involved in so much
- Dependence doesn’t mean they’ll love, in fact will fear and dislike you
- IMAGE: Vines with thorns
- Reversal: independent means monopolist, lonely, fruitless, enemies will all band together to fight you
- Use selective honest and generosity to disarm your victim
- One sincere and honest move will cover up dozens of dishonest ones
- Will open a hole to deceive and manipulate
- Single act of honesty is not enough to judge a man, need a track record
- Generosity is most effective at lowering defense
- Play carefully, if they see through, it will turn violent and hatred
- IMAGE: Trojan horse
- Reversal: if you are already thought of as distrusting, act a rogue and embrace it
- When asking for help, appeal to their self-interest, never mercy or gratitude
- Uncover something that will benefit him and emphasize it out of proportion
- Peasant: apple tree, no fruit on it, birds beg, chops and finds honey, cares for it then on
- Stefano: breaks riot on peace, tells Carpaccio, listens, invites whole family over, kills
- A man is not obligated to be grateful, gratitude is terrible burden many gladly try to discard
- Pragmatic person rather talks about future over past
- Do not confuse your desires and wants with theirs; understand their psychology
- IMAGE: Cord that binds: self-interests of each other bind
- Reversal: powerful, rich, altruistic don’t want money but rather chance to be superior/show their goodness at heart
- Pose as a friend, work as a spy
- Knowing about your rival is critical, so use spies to gather info to keep you ahead
- Better yet, be the spy and use social encounters when guard is down to probe with indirect questions to reveal weaknesses and intentions
- Duveen: art, Mellon, from dislike Duveen to love because learned all his tastes
- By opening up and sharing something deep with them, emotionally they will reciprocate
- Emphasize friendly chatter, not valuable information and they will reveal it all
- IMAGE: third eye: spy
- Reversal: give them false information to your advantage
- Knowing about your rival is critical, so use spies to gather info to keep you ahead
- Crush your enemy totally
- More is lost by stopping halfway, they will recover and seek revenge, crush body and spirit
- When we sympathize with an enemy we only build up their fear and hatred
- All truer for former friends
- Chinese history filled with stories of leniency returning to annihilation
- Once a major win, no resting on laurels, must focus on next task to obliterate
- If only won a partial victory, will lose it when try to go negotiate peace afterwards
- Allow no options for enemy
- Realize that as you rise to power, will create enemies, do not take hatred personally, realize no chance of reconciliation while you’re still in power
- Sufficiently weaken and exile them forever
- IMAGE: Viper: crushed by food but left to recover will still attack
- Reversal: rare but can let them hang themselves, if trapped will fight with all their might, if given small exit, allow them it and crush as they leave
- Use absence to increase respect and honor
- Too much circulation makes the price go down: more you are seen or heard from, more common you appear
- You must learn when to leave, to create scarcity
- Must be omnipresent at first so that everything reminds of you, too soon and will be forgotten
- Absence diminishes minor passions and enflames great ones as the wind douses a candle and fans the fire
- IMAGE: sun—appreciated only by absence
- But there will be a point at height of power where awe diminishes, where not as good as former self, so know when to retire
- Love never dies of starvation, but often indigestion
- Too much circulation makes the price go down: more you are seen or heard from, more common you appear
- Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate unpredictability
- Humans are creature of habit with insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions
- Wear them out trying to explain your moves: intimidate and terrorize
- Bobby Fischer: complained, late, forfeit, eventually won because other psychological breakdown
- Person of power instills fear by deliberately unsettling those around him
- Can also keep intrigue and interest on you
- IMAGE: cyclone – unpredictable wind
- Reversal: predictable you lull to sleep and bam, attack
- Unpredictable: can work against you if in subordinate role
- Do not build fortresses to protect you: isolation is dangerous
- Cuts you off from valuable information, conspicuous and an easy target
- Ch’in: isolated, no one talk/see him, but courtiers ran kingdom, died without no one knowing
- Louis XIV: Versailles, constant talk, know exactly what’s going on
- Very easy to turn a fortress into a prison
- Power depends on social interaction and circulation, all activity should revolve around you
- In moment of uncertainty, don’t shield, rather open up, moment lose contact is moment they’re thinking of rebellion
- IMAGE: Fortress
- Reversal: isolation helps with though, but only od temporary because will get weird ideas of self and abilities
- Know who you’re dealing with: do not offend the wrong person
- Some people will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge
- Choose victims and opponents carefully
- Never offend or deceive the wrong person
- What to watch out for
- Arrogant and proud man: over sensitive
- Hopelessly insecure: will attack in small bites
- Test by making joke if laughs ok, if not leave
- Mr. Suspicion: will think everyone is after him, easy to deceive
- Serpent with long memory: calculate, wait, cold and unemotional
- Plain unintelligent man: won’t understand/recognize, waste of time
- Genghis Khan: silk road, offer, disgraced, took over
- Never assume person dealing with is weaker or less important than you
- Even if have thick skin be careful, typically ones intent on most revenge; always decline respectfully
- Never trust your instinct: gather hard facts
- Never trust appearances: see past them
- IMAGE: hunter == does not lay same trap for world as he does fox
- Reversal: none
- Do not commit to anyone
- Fool rushes to take sides
- Maintaining independence means master of others as you play people against one another, making them pursue you, enhances your image
- If you allow people to feel they possess you, you lose all power, give hope but never satisfaction
- Queen Elizabeth: suitors, played the virgin, cultish following, never committed
- Desire is like a virus: when we see someone desired by someone else, we want it too
- Not to put off or seem incapable of commitment, but put self in between two powers struggling
- Kissing: play both sides in election to ensure a spot
- People who rush to support a cause lose power
- IMAGE: Virgin Queen: hasn’t picked suitor, everyone want to be
- Do not let others drag you into petty squabble as their problems will become yours and you their tool
- Stir up squabbles and mediate to gain power
- Kites, crows, fox: fox dying, crow gets top, kite bottom, fox says prefer crow gets top, kites jealous, fight, fox eats dead birds, heals and leaves
- Isabella: courting both weaker and fierce, other falls, then both fall, Isabella remains
- You have to master your emotions, this will upset a lot as they are driven by emotion
- Don’t stand completely aside, but your actions should be your own choosing
- Slowness to pick up a weapon is a useful tool
- Not about siding with stronger or weaker, about biding time before choosing
- Reversal: sometimes need to pick independence
- Washington: England, France, need to show own ability
- IMAGE: Thicket of Shrubs: can’t disentangle from it
- Play a sucker to catch a sucker: seem dumber than your mark
- Make victims feel smarter than you are and they will never suspect ulterior motives
- Arnold Slack: Wyoming diamond mine, used diamonds bought in Paris, seemed too dumb to pull a con, got away with it
- Feeling that someone else is more intelligent than we are is intolerable and we make excuses (he’s spoiled, cheated, etc.)
- Intelligence and sophistication are critical to person’s vanity, never inadvertently insult
- Count Blome: Bismarck, game of quinze, played recklessly, though Bismarck could never bee conniving, signed paper that was much in favor of Bismarck
- Works wonders against those who are tigers: arrogant and over confident
- IMAGE: Opossum—playing dead, predators can’t possibly think faking
- Good if intelligent to down play and let them find out how smart you are
- Reversal: when rising up ranks, might need to subtly show boss you’re smarter than peers
- When deceiving, air of authority is a tool
- Use surrender tactic: transform weakness into power
- When weaker, never fight for honor’s sake, surrender to give time to recover, irritate conqueror and wait for his power to wane
- Turning the other cheek will infuriate and unsettle him
- Athenians offered Melios terms, refused, destroyed everyone
- Brecht: communist, House of Un-American, instead of fighting, congenial and used interpreter, freed
- People trying to make a show of authority are easily deceived by tactic
- It is always first instinct to meet aggression with aggression, instead turn other cheek to infuriate
- Inwardly firm, outwardly bend
- Use it to gain access to enemy, learn their ways, plan, plot for when power wants
- IMAGE: oak tree: if firm loses branches in wind, bends it grows bigger
- Reversal: when enemy will no relent and martyrdom seems only option, try to avoid because messy and you dead
- Concentrate your forces
- Gain more by depth than breadth
- Find rich mine and mine deeper instead of flitting from one hole to another
- Find one key patron who will give you milk for a long time to come
- He will value loyalty and become dependent
- Drunk of success and ambition, all empires expand too much frivolously and fail
- If you are not in danger, don’t fight
- Rothschild: banking stuck within his family, succeeded where other families fought and failed
- We are all in a state of constant distraction, retreat inside yourself to focus on 1 thing and keep beating it
- IMAGE: Arrow—focus attack if stray will miss mark
- Reversal: when weaker, good to run and guerilla warfare, most reliant on 1 patron and can pay off each other
- Play the perfect courtier
- Flatters, yields to superiors, asserts power over others in most oblique and graceful manner
- Make king feel more kingly and everyone else fear their power
- Avoid ostentation: never prattle on about yourself or call too much attention to your actions
- Talk more about other people
- Practice nonchalance: never show how hard you work, no one want to know how hard you work
- Be frugal with flattery: loses its value
- Arrange to be noticed: subtly distinct
- Alter language and style according to person you are dealing with
- Never be bearer of bad news: bring only good news
- Always treat master as such, his prerogative to make it friendlier
- Never criticize those above you, couch advice/criticism as politely as possible
- Be frugal in asking for favors, especially if for others: never ask for too much and have him reject you
- Never joke about people: appearance or taste
- Don’t bet the court cynic: express modest admiration for other people’s achievements
- Be self-observer, train mind to check in
- Master your emotions, fit spirit of the times, be a source of pleasure
- Alexander the Great: philosophy, had guy killed because too honest: never be too self absorbed as to believe master in interested in criticism of him
- Chinese stories: 2 headed geese, emperor gets that his actions are “unbalancing” universe indirectly from advisor
- Mansart: purposely put in problem in painting, have prince point out, publicly declare prince genius
- Bear Brummel: fashion, prince of wales, insulted him, kicked out, lived destitute
- Do not over step your bounds: never seem like trying too hard
- Your equals play an important role to power, flatter them
- We are like a slave, we have gifts master doesn’t, give him those talents and let him take credit
- Always beneficial to play role of Courtier
- Churchill painting, publisher, changed to his liking
- Courtship is a subtle art, be careful of traps and mistakes
- Re-create yourself
- Do not accept roles that society foists on you
- Once you accept it, doomed
- Command attention, never bore, include drama
- Julius Caesar: staged fights, played leading man with gusto
- Learn to enlarge your actions through dramatic techniques like surprises, suspense, sympathy, and symbolic identification
- Be aware that you are an actor and take control of your appearance and emotions
- People who wear hearts on sleeve are embarrassing
- Play sincere, but don’t emo it
- Let events unfold slowly, then at right time, ramp up
- Roosevelt: after election hid, then boom, speech, 100 days: unfold cards 1 at a time
- Be aware of dramatic acts and power of entry and exit
- Learn how to play many roles, whatever moment requires but don’t over react
- IMAGE: Proteus—Greek Sea God assumed many forms
- Reversal: none
- People who wear hearts on sleeve are embarrassing
- Do not accept roles that society foists on you
- Keep your hands clean
- Never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds
- Use others as scapegoats and cat’s paws to disguise
- Have a scapegoat around to take the blame, can serve as a warning to others
- Often wise to chose innocent, weak person, but make sure not to make into a martyr, YOU were the one wronged
- T’sao messed up grain ordering, soldiers angry, beheaded heed of food, stunned and intimidated soldiers
- People are undone not by mistakes they make but how they handle it
- Excuses and apologies too blunt, question your ability, and not satisfying or rewarding
- IMAGE: innocent goat
- Cat’s paw: if something is far too risky or unpleasant that needs to be done, use someone else to do it
- Cleopatra: use Caesar to kill Ptolemy indirectly (drowned in fighting), and had Marc Antony kill her brother
- Power comes from getting other people to do bidding “innocent enough” of completely justified
- Chain Kai Shek: captured, Mao had him general vs. Japan instead of killed, fought Japan, weakened his army in battle while Chaing’s strengthened, after dispelled Japanese, defeated Chaing
- Pest who laugh at your expense, to silence them persuade them to attack somebody else who can more than pay them back
- Wild bird, master to India, bird’s brother “died,” told captive bird, who did the same, master released on window sill, bird flew away and thanked him for sending message and showing how to be free
- Appearance of working harder: actually implies weakness
- False or planted info is good tool to use, especially if spread by those unassuming
- IMAGE: cat’s paw
- Reversal: use with extreme caution, if caught major backlash; if securely in power, okay to accept blame and repent sins or punish someone yourself to instill fear (don’t overdo though)
- Play on people’s need to believe in something: create a cult-like following
- Offer them a cause, faith to follow
- Vague, enthusiasm, rituals and sacrifices over rationality
- Dangle in front of them some new cause, elixir, get rich quick scheme or technology
- Larger the group, easier to deceive
- Keep vague and simple: attract attention with words, promise something great but vague so they’ll make own connections
- Visual and sensual, over intellectual appeals: prevent boredom and skepticism, appeal to all senses, exotic and new things
- Borrow from religion: rituals, hierarchy, sanctity, titles
- Guru, not dictator
- Disguise source of income: never be seen as hungry for money, but surround with luxury to show proof it works
- Setup us vs. them scenario; make sure you group is exclusive with common goal and devious enemy is after you
- Boon: archangel Michael came to him, vision, search for stone to turn things to gold, heresy, still beloved
- Shuppach: mountain doctor, medicine by moonlight, people were fearful of/didn’t like taste of normal medicine, belief in “natural cures,” simple living and theatrical
- Our rationality breaks when join group, also play on repressed sexuality to get them excited
- IMAGE: magnet—draws others with invisible force, draws others as well
- Reversal: playing with crowds is like fire, can turn fast, need to adapt; sometimes once establish cult good to go 1 on 1
- Act with boldness
- If unsure, don’t do it
- People admire the bold
- Timidity is dangerous
- Act bold and bolder still to cover mistakes
- Bolder the lie the better, ask for moon, might get it
- Lions circle prey: if on first meeting, act timid, will be eaten alive
- Boldness strikes fear which creates authority
- Halfway with half commitment digs deeper grave
- Hesitation creates gaps which fills with awkwardness/doubt
- Bold leaves no time for thought
- Audacity separates you from herd
- Lustig: confidential scrap metal meeting, ask 5 people for quotes for Eiffel Tower, toured the top, then asked after winning bid for a bribe, so absurd worked
- When on hook asking for more puts others on defensive
- Ivan Terrible: when young, beaten and mocked, bided time, then attacked at once no time for them to adjust
- When small, find goliath to try and take down with 1 bold move
- Boy: stung by nettle because touched it, next time grab it to avoid stinging
- We want to avoid tension and conflict and be liked by all = self absorbed and care too much what others think
- When someone is silent or hesitate, people don’t know what to think of that person, uncomfortable; when bold it’s an outward action they know what to think
- Start a negotiation to “set own price” and reach for the stars
- In seduction, allow them to claim “had no choice” in heat of moment rather than ability to think
- IMAGE: lion and hare: lion acts decisive, hare jumps around often to own trap
- Reversal: don’t use boldness all the time, it’s a tactic not strategy; timidity only when luring to be bold
- Plan all the way to the end
- Ending is everything, so take into account all possible consequences, obstacles that might reverse hard work or take away glory
- Won’t be overwhelmed by circumstances and know when to stop
- Balboa: stow away, successfully convince sailors, trek, failed 2x, beheaded by new guy
- Do nothing without regard to the consequences
- Improvisation will only get you as far as the next crisis
- Bismarck: Denmark, Prussia, unite Germans, France, then to surprise stopped and peace: that was his plan
- Most men never know when to stop because don’t have goal, so keep going till tragedy
- Don’t react to things as they happen, wait patiently and plot out next step
- Most think they are thinking to end, but “happily ever after” and emotions take over when in reality most time ends in failure
- So much of power is no in what you do, but what you don’t do
- Figure out how to ward off vultures circling overhead and anticipate crises
- IMAGE: gods on Mt. Olympus who see in advance the ending
- Reversal: plan must be flexible but most fail by less planning than more; doesn’t hurt to plan, no reversal
- Make your accomplishments seem effortless
- Toil and practice and tricks need to be concealed so seems like you could do much more
- If teach people your tricks, can be used against you
- Houdini: many “death defying” almost magical tricks, claimed imposter, make a mockery, didn’t realize how much practiced
- You must research and practice endlessly before going on stage
- Humans primitive desire to be in awe of super natural, if seems like working too hard, then lose awe, makes people uncomfortable
- Control desire to blab about effort
- Make seem like you’re only one who can do it, never reveal all tricks = instill fear in the potential of your ability
- IMAGE: racehorse—close up able to see all the effort it takes, but from afar, looks like done with ease
- Reversal: need some light heartedness to concealing secrets otherwise mistaken for paranoia
- Times when partially revealing tricks is to your advantage as long as planned and not blabbed
- Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal
- Best deceptions give other person a choice, a choice where you benefit either way
- Ivan the terrible: couldn’t get loyalty, threatened to step down, did only come back if absolute dictator
- Withdrawal and disappearance are classic ways of controlling the options “Choice”
- I stay away and you suffer consequences OR I return under circumstances I dictate
- Ninon—could court her, pay only slept with them when wanted, not pay no promise of sleeping but one gets all favors
- Illusion and choice is perfect combo for dreams
- Freedom, choice and option evoke a power of possibility beyond the realities
- We choose to believe we have a choice, but typically “choice” is A or B, too much freedom creates anxiety
- Control the options
- Color the choices: paint one you want the brightest
- Alter the playing field: know hand is being forced, but they cannot stop it
- Effective for those who will resist at all costs
- Force the resister: push them by supporting the opposite
- Shrinking options: raise price everyday delayed/limited time
- Brothers in crime: hint or perform “crime” with them and create a bond of guilt
- Use fear and terror to propel them to action
- Horns of dilemma: either option they are screwed
- If you are agent of punishment, expect counterattack and revenge, so make themselves be the one whose choices brings misfortune
- Reversal: sometime want to give rivals a large degree of freedom to see their strategy and attack better in long run
- Play to people’s fantasies
- Truth is often avoided because it’s unpleasant and ugly; life is harsh
- People flock to fantasy, so tap into fantasy of the masses
- Venice: Alchemy, man promised, they doted and waited, impatient, demanded results, he “was angered” and left to another country
- Gain power by being source of pleasure: playing on people’s fantasies
- In reality, change is slow and gradual, play on instant and painless like elixirs
- Social world has boundaries and boredom, cross them to the exotic and adventure/relief from boredom
- Death is permanent: bring back from dead
- Ex. An artist’s “long lost paintings”
- Key to fantasy is distance, where it seems simple and problem free, don’t’ let them get too close; always desiring
- IMAGE: the moon—changing shape, unattainable, appearing/disappearing
- Reversal: fantasy could be “normal things” like Lincoln appearing as a “common man,” because life is often theatrical enough that we desire simple things
- Everyone has a weakness: insecurity, uncontrollable emotion or need
- Once found turn to your advantage
- Some people openly discuss disguise/weakness, others hide, those who hide usually have it to a greater degree
- Pay attention to gestures and everyday conversation: try telling a “secret” from the heart to get them to do so in kind
- Helpless child: will often act like a child when found the weakness
- Look for contrasts: cowards typically puff up chest, timid look for adventures
- Find the weak link—someone is typically behind the scenes and bends to pressure first
- Fill their emotional void and feed their uncontrollable emotions: fear, lust, greed, vanity
- Feel important and validation
- Richelieu: Marie insecure, feed off his attention, Louis’ weakness was mother, Richelieu pushed weak child to bold adventures
- See how a man treats every day situations to see how he does bigger ones
- IMAGE: thumbscrew—groove is weakness, turn and control
- Reversal: may stir up an action you can’t control and they will take it too far
- Be royal in your own fashion: act like a king to be treated like one
- Way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated
- By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown
- Christopher Columbus: created allure of noble background (all made up), made ridiculous demands, but he was treated as legitimate equal
- Set your own price, if you act proud and big, demanding respect, people will give you respect
- Powerful people are drawn to pretend they are all friends with underlings by creates false chumminess which loses the ability to inspire loyalty, fear, or love rather contempt
- As we grow older, coming to expect less from the world, we accept limitations and even apologize for simplest requests
- Not arrogance, as that exudes insecurity
- Dignity is the mask to assume under difficult circumstances, as if nothing can affect you and you have all the time in the world to respond
- Always make a bold demand, go after highest person in the building, gift of some sort to those above you saying you two are equal
- IMAGE: the crown—radiates assurance, never show doubt
- Reversal: don’t elevate yourself by humiliating people or loom too high above the crowd; don’t compete in vulgarity as someone can always out vulgar you
- Master the art of timing
- Hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself and over time
- Always seem patient as if you know everything will come to you eventually
- Focus on trends that will carry you to power
- Stand back and then strike
- Power rarely ends in the hands of those who start it, rather those who end it
- Weak horse/strong man—try pull all hairs at once, fail, vice versa pull one hair at a time, perseverance pulls all out
- Recognize spirit of the time, doesn’t mean prevailing winds you run with, might wait for it to change
- Time is an artificial concept we create and depends on perspective, control emotion to lengthen time out
- Long time: long term, patience, defensive and not act impulsively
- Forced time: short term manipulative, offensive, rush enemy’s rhythm
- End time: when plan must be expected to perform by
- When force pace out of fear and impatience, create a mess that takes longer to fix than if had taken time
- Control your emotions and colleagues, but force time on enemies to rush
- When unrushed
- Head uncluttered with emergencies, see further into future
- Able to resist bait people dangle in front of you
- More room to be flexible: opportunities will arise that you had missed in rushing
- Avoid mistaking surface for real thing
- Most people can’t make up their own mind, so force time so that they will
- Never let them make you play on their timeline/terms
- Reversal: none IMAGE: hawk—patient and silent with powerful eyes at right time he swoops
- Disdain things you cannot have
- Acknowledging a problem gives it existence and credibility
- Ignoring them is the best revenge, more superior you seem
- More attention you give an enemy, stronger you make him
- Small mistake is often made worse when try to fix it
- Wilson: chase Poncho Villa, punitive expedition, eluded army and became big hero in Mexico
- When you pay attention to someone, you two become partners of sorts, acting and reacting, opening self to influence
- Play their comments with contempt
- Desire: more want, most chase, more it eludes you
- Commitment and engagement weakens you
- If crush weaker side, create sympathy for it
- Approaches
- Sour grapes: didn’t want in first place
- Deflect as if not even noticed, look away or act sweetly
- Might backfire if among equals, work if weaken opponent
- IMAGE: tiny wound—time and ignoring heals, tampering, picking only worsens it
- Reversal: if show contempt when weak and gets powerful, will be vengeful, so keep an eye out
- Create compelling spectacles
- Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create aura of power
- Images are an extremely effective shortcut
- Simpler spectacle the better
- Using words to plead case is risky business, already on the defensive
- Visual shortcuts: instills a multitude of associations and brings people tougher, emotionally charges them = power, use to rally, animate and unite
- Often visual/metaphors are gentler than words
- Dr. in Germany: used moonlight and its power
- IMAGE: cross and sun—2 symbols juxtaposed = one new meaning of awesomeness
- Reversal: none
- Think as you like but behave like others
- Flaunting your unconventional ideas and ways, people will think you only want attention
- They will punish you for making them feel inferior
- Blend in, only share views with tolerant friends
- Pausanias: Great Greek Figure, Turkey, adopted behavior, mocked Greeks, starved to death hiding in Temple
- Many of us have a desire for the exotic: be careful and moderate it
- 1 tool is to agree with norm, but give the opposite idea expression and exposure
- Never combat any man’s opinion because it will do no good to change or correct mistake, only anger
- Reason using logic won’t work in changing people’s beliefs is most of time beliefs are held emotionally and without thinking about them
- Can say you agree with the trend, gain power, and then try to influence many more once in a position of power
- Use small gestures to show that powerful are “just like you”
- IMAGE: black sheep—stands out and ostracized from group
- Reversal: don’t have to blend in if dominant power, although wise to because at some point will want public support
- Being eccentric or gadfly has Long Term Damage
- Stir up waters to catch fish
- Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive
- Make enemies angry while keeping calm yourself
- Find chink in their vanity through which you rattle and hold the strings
- Problem with angry response is that short term might instill fear, but long term embarrassment and sign of losing power
- Showing frustration is last resort kids use to try and get their way
- Petulance does not equal power
- Feeling animosity is useless unless you act on it
- Play on uncontrollable emotions, pride, vanity, love, hate
- This is a game and don’t take it personally, it’s not direct all because of you, it’s built up anger
- Recognize anger as a power move
- With arrogant people appear weaker
- Sun Pin: 100k campfires, then 50k, then 30k, when attacked, retreated to overpass and destroyed
- IMAGE: pond of fish: stir and fish emerge, stir more and they get angry
- Reversal: some fish are best left at the bottom
- If they are impossibly strong, you have nothing to gain everything to lose
- Well timed (planned) outburst is ok took, use sparingly though
- Despise the free lunch
- What is offered for free is dangerous, usually involves either a trick or hidden obligation
- What has worth is worth paying for, do so to steer clear of gratitude, guild and deceit
- There is no cutting corners with excellence
- Be lavish with your money and keep it circulation, generosity is a sign and magnet for power
- Types of people
- Greedy fish: take human side out of money, cold and ruthless, life is only a balance sheet, avoid them before they exploit you or play on their greed to your gain
- Bargain demon: they could have gotten something elsewhere for cheaper, but ignore cost of time, resist them before they infect you with insecure feeling that you should have looked harder to find a cheaper price
- Mentally add up cost in time and peace and money
- Sadist: vicious power games with money as a way of asserting power
- Think that paying for something gives them right to torture and abuse seller
- Accepting financial loss may be better in long term than getting entangled
- Indiscriminate giver: generous because want to be loved, too much emotional baggage
- The worth of money is not in its possession but in its use, use to control people, spread liberally, and create façade of power paying for things creates—softens people to you
- Never let lust for money lure you out of fortress of real power, make power your goal and money will find its way to you
- The more you give, blunter weapon becomes, creates monsters of ingratitude, don’t be predictable, sudden unexpected; and play with sentiments in gift giving to be more powerful
- Money is never spent to so much advantage as when you have been cheated out of it; for at one stroke you have purchased prudence
- IMAGE: River—when try to dam it to save water, becomes dank and pestilent, let water flow
- Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes
- If have famous father, will have to accomplish 2x to outshine him
- Establish your own name and identity by changing course
- Louis XV: forced to study because great father, after became ruler, just into pleasantries, brought down great empire because useless
- Pampered indulged son always squanders because does not start with father’s need to fill voids
- Only thing to do is change course, create own reputation in different category as father
- Often though that means excelling at laziness
- Alexander the Great: tamed wild horse father said was untamable, took over instead of cunning like father, did own way with force
- Gordian knot: cut with a sword to show play by own rules
- Way to escape past is to belittle it and play new vs. old
- Create symbolism to demonstrate difference of time
- Superstitious belief that if person before you did A,B, and C you can succeed as well by doing it
- It’s easy, appeals to timidity and is wrong because things always change, can’t do exactly as before
- Plentitude and success, especially early on, enables you to put your guard down and be lazy, prevent this by returning to square 1 psychologically
- IMAGE: father—giant shadow squashing you
- Reversal: can use predecessor to gain power and then discard once there
- Sometimes what predecessor did that’s good is worth copying, especially if dumber
- Only thing to do is change course, create own reputation in different category as father
- Strike the shepherd and sheep will scatter
- Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual: arrogant underling and stirrer
- Do not allow people to poison your team and succumb to influence, neutralize by isolating or banishing
- Strike at the source and sheep will scatter
- Athenians: citizenry top notch, vote to banish trouble makers, worked for over 100 years
- Isolation: physical, political (reduce followers), psychological (alienating with slander)
- Troublemakers: ID them by their overbearing presence and do not try to reform them, nor attack, but banish before time to rouse more people
- Oldest card in book: threaten in 1 hand, hold olive branch in other
- People still revolve around 1 or 2 central figures, don’t waste time lashing out every which way
- It is often better to isolate enemies than destroy
- Presence and appearance are key, especially at the beginning
- Your absence from court spells disaster, especially in time of turmoil, use to lure away enemies
- Isolate from their usual context to make them feel weaker
- IMAGEL flock of fatted sheep: attack shepherd
- Reversal: sometimes if might be able to exact revenge, keep close, whittle their support and then ostracize
- Work on the hearts and minds of others
- Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you
- You must seduce others into wanting to move in you direction and he will be your loyal pawn
- Soften the resistance by working on their emotions and what hold dear (freedom, love, family) and what they fear
- Do so by sudden jolt—push to despair and then relief
- Ignore hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you
- Marie Antoinette’s: spoiled as child, lavished on when queen, never thought to charm people, died of guillotine
- At all times you must attend to those around you, higher up you are, more important it is
- Rise up not by working on leaders but on masses
- Alexander the great: marching tons, water thirst issue for all, soldiers dejected, traveller gave Alex the water, he refused saying his soldiers would still be thirsty, invigorated soldiers
- When meet new person, step back and probe to see what makes them unique
- Easiest way to win hearts is to explain how people will benefit
- IMAGE: the keyhole—instead of knocking down walls, find the door and key to open
- Reversal: none
- Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect
- Do exactly as enemies do so they cannot figure out your strategy
- Mocks and humiliates them, seduce and teach lesson
- Neutralizing: they are blinded by mirror and don’t see an enemy: shadow effect to learn their ways
- Narcissus: we are profoundly in love with ourselves and looking for that in others
- Moral effect: truth is generally seen, rarely heard: give them taste of own medicine
- Hallucinatory: strategically mimic the world to deceive/con them
- Fouche: Napoleon, spies, double agents, Napoleon couldn’t prove his conspiracies because using all tactics Napoleon was
- Dangerous over use of mirrors: when leave one person to mirror another, person feels empty and used and revenge seeking
- Seduction: usually fails because too aggressive, take step back
- Lesson: Ivan, no power, replaced with person who really had no power, showed them how he was treated
- Didn’t whine, taught a lesson
- Never shatter mirrors, step in them guide to exit
- First moment of illusion is most important, must be right
- IMAGE: shield of Perseus—mirror to kill Medusa
- Reversals: if mirror, might be associated and compared to those who cam before and tainted/brought down by comparison
- Preach need for change, never reform too much at once
- People understand need for change, but are creatures of habit
- Too much innovation is traumatic
- Make a show of respecting old ways of doing things: make change gentle improvement and fill void with immediate new traditions
- Cromwell: Christian Church for Henry VIII, took too far, killed
- Man who initiates strong reforms often becomes the scapegoat for any kind of dissatisfaction
- Mao: cloaked revolution with images of past and tradition, filled the vacuum of change with familiar
- People prefer superficial change, not real change—prophets of change can’t last long without use of force
- Fact that past is dead and buried gives you freedom to reinterpret it and insert own text
- IMAGE: cat—creature of habit who loves the familiar
- Reversal: if what happened in recent past painful, self destructive to associate yourself with it, so fill void with new rituals
- Avoid being based on “new” because can always be outdone by someone else, can’t if based on “past”
- Never appear too perfect
- Envy creates silent enemies
- Smart to occasionally display defects, harmless vices and appear more human
- Cosimo Medici: rose to power, but behind the scenes, everyone thought was humble
- Never think that flaunting skills will stir up admiration
- Appearance of superiority is inconsequential next to reality of it
- Deal with Envy
- Accept that people will be more powerful than you and use that emotion to surpass them, don’t turn inwards
- Understand that as you become more powerful, people below will feel envy
- When they envy you, they will work against you, accept that
- Easier to avoid envy in first place, but hard to avoid if
- Naturally talented
- Sudden rise
- Deflect power by seeming unambitious
- They force you to take it
- Disguise as self sacrifice, the additional power
- Hint that your good fortune will benefit those around you
- Signs of envy: excessive praise, hypercritical
- Do not try to help or do favors, flee them
- Most notable in “Equality” settings like friends and democracy
- IMAGE: Garden of weeds—don’t want them but they grow and destroy what created, best solution is not to feed them
- Reversal: sometimes best to display disdain for those who envy you, make perfection obvious
- Use when super secure in position
- Do not go past the mark you aimed for: learn when to stop
- Moment of victory is moment of greatest peril
- Arrogance and overconfidence can push you past goal and make more extreme
- Lyrus: Persian empire, went too far, killed, overstretched empire and immediately all work collapsed
- At moment of victory is when pay more attention to peril
- “When you have won a victory, tighten the strings of your helmet”
- Strategy is about controlling what comes next: when rely on victories
- Trying to repeat same pattern as last time without pausing to check
- Success goes to head, emotional, invulnerable feeling, too rash
- Instead vary your rhythms between cunning and force
- Good luck is more dangerous than gad; good will think it’s your own genius that made it happen; bad learn patience, timing and preparation
- Simply preaching moderation will make you look weak: make whatever you do fit the illusion of power
- People try to please master, through excess of effort, run risk of threatening/making master suspicious
- If master grants favor, don’t ask for more
- Moment when you stop has great drama: no better time to walk away then on top with win
- IMAGE: Icarus falling from sky—kept going higher and higher till wings melted
- Reversal: crush enemy you defeat, but caution picking a new enemy, belief in momentum is emotional response that clouds judgment
- Assume Formlessness
- Taking shape means having a visible plan means open to attack
- Keep self adaptable and on the move
- Accept fact nothing is certain and no law fixed
- Never bet on stability or lasting order
- Spartans: rigid, all war, beat Athenians who excelled in commerce, but Spartans didn’t know how to handle all riches, grew corrupt and lost
- People slowed down with specific systems or ways cannot sense change or adapt quick enough
- In evolution big shells/armor slow animal and lose to fast and quick
- Communists, formless, couldn’t be attack, surround Chang Shai small unites and eventually won
- Things that don’t change we destroy, why youth always rebels
- When locked in past, look comical
- Be formless, doesn’t mean amorphous, doesn’t mean “go with flow,” it’s a tool used to buy time, decisive
- When take something personally, defensive, you give a form to attack
- Flexible formless rulers might anger in short term but last longer and open to circumstance
- Need for formlessness increases as get older because set in ways, must rely less on the past and acknowledge at some point might have to step out of the way
- See events through own eyes, ignore advice of others and throw out laws others preach, make decisions on your own
- Too much respect for other’s wisdom destroys your own
- IMAGE: Mercury—takes any shape
- Reversal: not mean don’t concentrate force, when finally do strike, take form, should be concentrated, fast and powerful
So there you have it. Which one is the most interesting to you? Can you find a place where you might not think you have leverage to apply this to?