LAW 41 page 347
AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN'S SHOES
'What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man
or have a Jamous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get
lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not oJ your own making: Establish your own name and identity lry
changing course. Slay the overbearing Jather, disparage his legacy, and gain power lry shining in your own
way.
LA W 42 page 358
STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER
Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual-the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner oJ
goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their injluence. Do not wait Jor the
troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them-they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence lry isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source oJ the trouble and the sheep will scatter.
LA W 4:� page 367
WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS
Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to
move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to
operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant lry working on their emotions,
playing on what they hold dear and what they Jear. Ignore the hearts and minds oJ others and they will grow to
hateyou.
LA W 44 page 376
DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT
The mirror rejlects reality, but it is also the perJect tool Jor deception: 'When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making
them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce tltem with the illusion that you share their
values;
lry holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power oJ the Mirror
Effect.
LAW 45 page 392
PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE
Everyone understands the need Jor change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures oJ
habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position oJ power, or an
outsider trying to build a power base, make a show oJ respecting the old way oJ doing things. If change is necessary, make it Jeel like a gentle improvement on the past.
CONTENTS xv
L AW 46 page 400
NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of alt is to appear to have no faults or
weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to oeeasionalty display defeets, and admit to harmless
viees, in order to defleet envy and appear more human and approaehable. Only gods and the dead can seem
perfeet with impunity.
L AW 47 page 410
DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR;
IN VICTORY, LEARN WHEN TO STOP
The moment of vietory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of vietory, arroganee and overeonfidenee ean push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you
defeat. Do not allow sueeess to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and eareful planning. Set a
goal, and when you reaeh it, stop.
L AW 48 page 419
ASSUME FORMLESSNESS
By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attaek. Instead of taking a form for your
enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Aeeept the faet that nothing is eertain and no law is
fixed. The best way to proteet yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting
order. Everything ehanges.
