Keep people dependent & selective honesty

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Law 11

Learn to Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.
I think this law has a contradiction, if people are dependent on you then how are you more free? Don't you then have to be around more often? I understand how having people that are dependent on you will give you more power but more freedom? I guess in a way they will then have to agree with you and make sure you stick around. If they don't need you then youre not needed period.. So in actuality you have no power.

Law 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Even though some of these laws seem kind of evil on the surface, it's easy to see when and how they will work. This one is a good example of that. If you do this, people can potentially end up trusting you and even depending on you. Give them a little and they'll like some more. Then you have them.. So to speak. This should help you develop a rapport. It opens people up and leaves them vulnerable.. Should you choose to see it like that.