The 48 Laws of Power
"Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual — the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them — they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter."
— Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power (1998)
Introduction
| The 48 Laws of Power | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full title | The 48 Laws of Power |
| Author | Robert Greene |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Power (Philosophy); Social influence; Leadership; Control (Psychology) |
| Genre | Nonfiction; Self-help |
| Publisher | Viking |
Publication date | 1 September 1998 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover); paperback; e-book; audiobook |
| Pages | 452 |
| ISBN | 978-0-670-88146-8 |
| Website | penguinrandomhouse.com |
Chapter summary
This outline follows the Viking first hardcover edition (1 September 1998; xxiii, 452 pp.; ISBN 978-0-670-88146-8).[1][2]
🌟 1 – Never outshine the master.
🤝 2 – Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies.
🎭 3 – Conceal your intentions.
🤐 4 – Always say less than necessary.
🛡️ 5 – So much depends on reputation- guard it with your life.
🎇 6 – Court attention at all cost.
👥 7 – Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
🎣 8 – Make other people come to you-use bait if necessary.
🏃 9 – Win through your actions, never through argument.
☣️ 10 – Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
⛓️ 11 – Learn to keep people dependent on you.
🎁 12 – Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
🎯 13 – When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude.
🕵️ 14 – Pose as a friend, work as a spy.
⚔️ 15 – Crush your enemy totally.
🌫️ 16 – Use absence to increase respect and honor.
🎲 17 – Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability.
🏰 18 – Do not build fortresses to protect yourself-isolation is dangerous.
🧭 19 – Know who you're dealing with- do not offend the wrong person.
🧩 20 – Do not commit to anyone.
🃏 21 – Play a sucker to catch a sucker-seem dumber than your mark.
🏳️ 22 – Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power.
🔦 23 – Concentrate your forces.
🤵 24 – Play the perfect courtier.
🦋 25 – Re-create yourself.
🧼 26 – Keep your hands clean.
🛐 27 – Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following.
🦁 28 – Enter action with boldness.
🗺️ 29 – Plan all the way to the end.
🪄 30 – Make your accomplishments seem effortless.
🎛️ 31 – Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal.
💭 32 – Play to people's fantasies.
🔎 33 – Discover each man's thumbscrew.
👑 34 – Be royal in your own fashion: act like a king to be treated like one.
⏰ 35 – Master the art of timing.
🙈 36 – Disdain things that you cannot have: ignoring them is the best revenge.
🎆 37 – Create compelling spectacles.
👔 38 – Think as you like but behave like others.
🌊 39 – Stir up waters to catch fish.
🍽️ 40 – Despise the free lunch.
👣 41 – Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes.
🐑 42 – Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
🧠 43 – Work on the hearts and minds of others.
🪞 44 – Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
🔄 45 – Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.
💎 46 – Never appear too perfect.
📏 47 – Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop.
🌀 48 – Assume formlessness.
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References
- ↑ "The 48 laws of power". WorldCat. OCLC. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "The 48 Laws of Power". Kirkus Reviews. 1 September 1998. Retrieved 10 November 2025.