The 48 Laws of Power
"Never waste valuable time, or mental peace of mind, on the affairs of others — that is too high a price to pay."
— 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.
Related content & more
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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.