Tuesday 17 May 2011

Play a sucker & surrender tactic

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

This goes back to the first law, never out shine your master. I guess this makes sense, if they don't believe you're very intelligent then who could you possibly have ulterior motives. But to what extent could someone really do this? What about your reputation? Even if they don't believe everything they hear, won't it raise some suspicions?

Law 22

Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

The other party won't think they made you surrender? I mean it makes sense if someone was about to defeat you and your surrendered right before they could they could get angry. And tormenting and irritating your conquered won't make him just try harder to get you back?

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