Term Paper on "48 Laws of Power"

Term Paper 5 pages (2061 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Laws of Power

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument. Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Being able to prove oneself correct through action far outweighs the victory than through any words that can be spoken. For example, let us say, I had a car accident; it was not my fault the other driver hit me on the passenger side. Although she is, wrong because we already know what happened there is a way to diminish the victory for us by speaking the wrong words. It would be easy to get out of ones car and say a few choice words that would later come back to haunt you, or one can be victorious simply through ones actions. Get out of the car calmly, make sure that everyone is okay. Take your insurance information out to show the other driver what you expect (here you are already setting the example) calmly take pictures of the car and wait for the police to arrive.

There are times when ones actions simply means being the "bigger person," being able to turn the other cheek and setting the example for any given situation. Our words have the tendency to affect others in horrible ways, and words are not easily taken back. Simply put the best way to express this law is to say "become a man/woman of action" instead of saying you are going to do something, you want to accomplish that, one day you will get to this, actually do it. Do the action etc. without expecting or needing acknowledgment. Be a doer not a talker. Hence above where it states, "Demonstrate, do not explicate," in nonprofessionals' terms: stop talking about what you are going to do and do it. Be a person of action and accountability, which is the best way to truly express this law. There is strength in knowing when there is a time to talk and when the time has truly come to set things in motion with action.

Law 16: Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor. Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

This law can be applied to those principles taught in business regarding supply and demand. If everyone woke up in the morning and see miles of gasoline tanks, they are going to think that there is plenty I do not have to worry about it. The next day the same thing, until finally the day may come when they no longer look at the window because they already know exactly what they will see. I tanks have become common; they begin to melt into the scenery. However then a time comes when they need the tanks, they look in the same spot they always knew them to be and the tanks are nowhere to be found. Now there is a panic, because they need the tanks but they are not there. Now the value of those tanks has increased and the tanks are now highly sought after even though just a day or two ago they were as common as the paint one sees ones walls each day.

The same concept goes for people. It leads back to that old adage " absents makes the heart grow fonder." We, as human being never instinctually want to be commonplace in another person's mind however, it can happen. One must learn moderation and that is the key to making this particular law a success. There is not always a continued need to be the life of the party, it gets old; then people are looking for the new and improved life of the party and it never ends up being the same person. If someone has to seek, you out it places more power and authority in your words and can often make people hear what you have to say. Some times silence alone can evoke the ideas of wisdom simply because others will believe that you take pride in what you say and how you present yourself, so you only express yourself when it is necessary. Those that talk all the time appear to have nothing good to say. Alternatively, one could say that they appear to have too much to say that therefore their words lose merit before they have had a chance to make a valid point. Once you have lost that authority using your words no one puts merit in neither your beliefs, viewpoints, nor the topics that one has chosen for discussion.

Law 26: Keep Your Hands Clean, You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and create-pawns to disguise your involvement.

Now here is a law that is a little tricky and actually incorporates one of the laws previously discussed. Though we as a society know that everyone has made a mistake we tend to hold high officials and leaders of companies etc. To a higher standard. It is as if their mistakes never happened as long as we do not hear about them in some way we can forgive them and move on to the topic for debate. However, once those mistakes i.e. dirty laundry is put out for all to see the innocence is then gone and never often restored to the person in a leadership role. A prime example is when a person says something and they are in authority, there is a lot of merit placed behind what that individual is saying, however if it is found out that the individual did something wrong they lose complete credibility. This law leads people to think that if one is to involve oneself in wrong doings he/she had better make sure that no one find out and that in the event things done in the dark come to the light there is someone more blameful than they are.

Who wants to listen to a government or state official that was caught in a hotel room with a prostitute while smoking crack explain how we need to ride our streets of gambling, drugs and prostitution. Who will listen to a CEO caught embezzling funds explain how they can invest your money with him or her for the future? Things like these create a situation in which the person has lost credibility. No one want to have a thief tell them about how wrong it is to be a thief when that is the same thing that individual is doing. It in fact often can appear as if the person thinks they are better than the rest, and should not be held to the same standards. Which have proven repeatedly to be the wrong thought process.

Law 38: Think as you like but Behave like others, if you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

People that stick out in a crowd are often scolded for not going with the flow of things. This can be seen in events i.e. presidential debates. Presidential elect hopefuls watch every move that they make, for fear that, if one thing they do is disliked by one of their supporters could cost thousands of votes. A closer perspective would be what happened with Obama just recently when he did not put his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance. To some it seemed like a possible over sight, to too many it seemed UN American and could have possible cost his campaign for presidency a significant amount of voter support. The pedestal is so easy to get on, but they never promised that the fall from grace would be pleasant or painless. In the above example had Obama behaved like those around him, he would not be in the situation in which he now finds himself. In addition, I though they said monkey see, monkey do was a bad thing, not if it insures that one is portrayed in the way in which he/she strives to be presented.

There are also times when being different could be a great means of intimidation… READ MORE

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