Law 2

Law 3 Law 4
Law 1
Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how
Conceal your Intentions Always Say Less than Necessary
Never Outshine the Master to use Enemies
When you are trying to impress people with words,
Always make those above you feel comfortably Be wary of friends-they will betray you more Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never the more you say, the more common you
superior. In your desire to please or impress quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They revealing the purpose behind your actions. If appear, and the less in control. Even if you are
them, do not go too far in displaying your talents also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot saying something banal, it will seem original if
or you might accomplish the opposite - inspire former enemy and he will be more loyal than a prepare a defense. Guide them far enough you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.
fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you down the wrong path, envelope them in enough Powerful people impress and intimidate by
more brilliant than they are and you will attain have more to fear from friends than from smoke, and by the time they realize your saying less. The more you say, the more likely you
the heights of power. enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to intentions, it will be too late. are to say something foolish.
make them.

Law 5
Law 7
Law 6
So Much Depends on Reputation - Guard it with Law 8
your Life Get others to do the Work for you, but Always
Court Attention at all Cost
Take the Credit Make other People come to you - use Bait if
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through Necessary
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is
reputation alone you can intimidate and win; Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other
unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get
once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and people to further your own cause. Not only When you force the other person to act, you are
lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand
will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation will such assistance save you valuable time and the one in control. It is always better to make
out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make
unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks energy, it will give you a godlike aura of your opponent come to you, abandoning his own
yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger,
and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous
more colorful, more mysterious, than the
learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in be forgotten and you will be remembered. gains - then attack. You hold the cards.
bland and timid masses.
their own reputations. Then stand aside and let Never do yourself what others can do for you.
public opinion hang them.

Law 9 Law 12
Law 10
Law 11
Win through your Actions, Never through Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to
Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
Argument Learn to Keep People Dependent on You Disarm your Victim
You can die from someone else’s misery -
Any momentary triumph you think gained through To maintain your independence you must always One sincere and honest move will cover over
emotional states are as infectious as disease. You
argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The be needed and wanted. The more you are relied dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures
may feel you are helping the drowning man but
resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and on, the more freedom you have. Make people of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of
you are only precipitating your own disaster.
lasts longer than any momentary change of depend on you for their happiness and prosperity even the most suspicious people. Once your
The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on
opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you
themselves; they will also draw it on you.
agree with you through your actions, without enough so that they can do without you. can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely
Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.
saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate. gift - a Trojan horse - will serve the same purpose.
 Law 15
Law 13
Law 14 Law 16
When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-
Crush your Enemy Totally
Interest, never to their Mercy or Gratitude Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor
All great leaders since Moses have known that a
If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to Too much circulation makes the price go down:
feared enemy must be crushed completely.
bother to remind him of your past assistance and gather valuable information that will keep you The more you are seen and heard from, the
(Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.)
good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In more common you appear. If you are already
If one ember is left alight, no matter how
Instead, uncover something in your request, or in polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask established in a group, temporary withdrawal from
dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out.
your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and indirect questions to get people to reveal their it will make you more talked about, even more
More is lost through stopping halfway than
emphasize it out of all proportion. He will weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion admired. You must learn when to leave. Create
through total annihilation: The enemy will recover,
respond enthusiastically when he sees something that is not an opportunity for artful spying. value through scarcity.
and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only
to be gained for himself.
in body but in spirit.

Law 17
Law 18 Law 19
Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an
Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself - Know Who You’re Dealing with - Do Not Offend Law 20
Air of Unpredictability
Isolation is Dangerous the Wrong Person
Do Not Commit to Anyone
Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable
The world is dangerous and enemies are There are many different kinds of people in the
need to see familiarity in other people’s
everywhere - everyone has to protect themselves. world, and you can never assume that everyone It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do
actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of
A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes will react to your strategies in the same way. not commit to any side or cause but yourself.
control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately
you to more dangers than it protects you from - it Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they By maintaining your independence, you become
unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no
cuts you off from valuable information, it makes will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. the master of others - playing people against
consistency or purpose will keep them off-
you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your one another, making them pursue you.
balance, and they will wear themselves out trying
circulate among people find allies, mingle. You are victims and opponents carefully, then - never
to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme,
shielded from your enemies by the crowd. offend or deceive the wrong person.
this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

Law 22
Law 23 Law 24
Law 21
Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness
Concentrate Your Forces Play the Perfect Courtier
into Power
Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker - Seem
Dumber than your Mark Conserve your forces and energies by keeping The perfect courtier thrives in a world where
When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s
them concentrated at their strongest point. You everything revolves around power and political
sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives
No one likes feeling stupider than the next gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection;
you time to recover, time to torment and irritate
persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts
your conqueror, time to wait for his power to
smart - and not just smart, but smarter than you another - intensity defeats extensity every time. power over others in the mot oblique and graceful
wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting
are. Once convinced of this, they will never When looking for sources of power to elevate manner. Learn and apply the laws of
and defeating you - surrender first. By
suspect that you may have ulterior motives. you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will courtiership and there will be no limit to how far
turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle
give you milk for a long time to come. you can rise in the court.
him. Make surrender a tool of power.
 Law 27
Law 25
Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Law 28
Law 26
Cultlike Following
Re-Create Yourself
Enter Action with Boldness
Keep Your Hands Clean
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in
Do not accept the roles that society foists on you.
something. Become the focal point of such If you are unsure of a course of action, do not
Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, You must seem a paragon of civility and
desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect
one that commands attention and never bores the efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by
follow. Keep your words vague but full of your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to
audience. Be the master of your own image rather mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a
promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality enter with boldness. Any mistakes you
than letting others define if for you. Incorporate spotless appearance by using others as
and clear thinking. Give your new disciples commit through audacity are easily corrected with
dramatic devices into your public gestures and scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your
rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on more audacity. Everyone admires the bold;
actions - your power will be enhanced and your involvement.
your behalf. In the absence of organized no one honors the timid.
character will seem larger than life.
religion and grand causes, your new belief system
will bring you untold power.

Law 31
Law 29 Law 30 Law 32
Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the
Plan All the Way to the End Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless Cards you Deal Play to People’s Fantasies

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, Your actions must seem natural and executed with The best deceptions are the ones that seem to The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and
taking into account all the possible ease. All the toil and practice that go into give the other person a choice: Your victims feel unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality
consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune them, and also all the clever tricks, must be they are in control, but are actually your puppets. unless you are prepared for the anger that comes
that might reverse your hard work and give the concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if Give people options that come out in your for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and
glory to others. By planning to the end you will not you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of favor whichever one they choose. Force them to distressing that people who can manufacture
be overwhelmed by circumstances and you revealing how hard you work - it only raises make choices between the lesser of two evils, romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in
will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great
help determine the future by thinking far ahead. used against you. horns of a dilemma: They are gored power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.
wherever they turn.

Law 36
Law 35
Law 34
Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them
Law 33 Master the Art of Timing
Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King is the best Revenge
to be treated like one
Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew Never seem to be in a hurry - hurrying betrays a
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it
lack of control over yourself, and over time.
The way you carry yourself will often determine existence and credibility. The more attention you
Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle Always seem patient, as if you know that
how you are treated; In the long run, appearing pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a
wall. That weakness is usual y an insecurity, an everything will come to you eventually. Become a
vulgar or common will make people disrespect small mistake is often made worse and more
uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of
you. For a king respects himself and inspires the visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to
small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it the times, the trends that will carry you to
same sentiment in others. By acting regally and leave things alone. If there is something
is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage. power. Learn to stand back when the time is not
confident of your powers, you make yourself you want but cannot have, show contempt for it.
yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has
seem destined to wear a crown. The less interest you reveal, the more superior
reached fruition.
you seem.
 Law 38
Law 40
Law 39
Law 37
Think as you like but Behave like others
Despise the Free Lunch
Stir up Waters to Catch Fish
Create Compelling Spectacles
If you make a show of going against the times,
What is offered for free is dangerous - it usually
flaunting your unconventional ideas and Anger and emotion are strategically
Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures involves either a trick or a hidden obligation.
unorthodox ways, people will think that you only counterproductive. You must always stay calm
create the aura of power - everyone responds to What has worth is worth paying for. By paying
want attention and that you look down upon and objective. But if you can make your enemies
them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt,
them. They will find a way to punish you for angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a
full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price
making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance:
heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, - there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be
in and nurture the common touch. Share your Find the chink in their vanity through which
no one will notice what you are really doing. lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for
originality only with tolerant friends and those who you can rattle them and you hold the strings.
generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.
are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

Law 41 Law 43 Law 44

Law 42
Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect
Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter
What happens first always appears better and Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect
Trouble can often be traced to a single strong
more original than what comes after. If you work against you. You must seduce others into tool for deception: When you mirror your
individual - the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the
succeed a great man or have a famous parent, wanting to move in your direction. A person you enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot
poisoned of goodwill. If you allow such people
you will have to accomplish double their have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect
room to operate, others will succumb to their
achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in the way to seduce others is to operate on their mocks and humiliates them, making them
influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause
their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches,
to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them
own making: Establish your own name and up the resistant by working on their emotions, you seduce them with the illusion that you share
- they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence
identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing playing on what they hold dear and what they their values; by holding up a mirror to their
by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the
father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist
source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.
shining in your own way. they will grow to hate you. the power of Mirror Effect.

Law 45 Law 47
Law 46 Law 48
Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In
Never appear too Perfect Assume Formlessness
too much at Once Victory, Learn when to Stop
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you
Everyone understands the need for change in the The moment of victory is often the moment of
but most dangerous of all is to appear to have open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form
abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance
no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable
creatures of habit. Too much innovation is and overconfidence can push you past the goal
enemies. It is smart to occasionally display and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing
traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to you had aimed for, and by going too far, you
defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to
a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow
deflect envy and appear more human and protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as
power base, make a show of respecting the old success to go to your head. There is no
approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem water; never bet on stability or lasting order.
way of doing things. If change is necessary, make substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a
perfect with impunity. Everything changes.
it feel like a gentle improvement on the past. goal, and when you reach it, stop.