If I ask you to manipulate your friends, family & acquaintances to gain power. Will you, do it? The book 48 Laws of Power written by Robert Greene is evil, it got banned in US prisons for being so powerful. It teaches you on how to be manipulative, cunning, amoral & ruthless. That’s why you should consider these points before reading it.
1. You will become Manipulative
Since this book is written on gaining power. So, a lot of laws teach you about manipulation tactics. When you read this book, you will feel an urge to apply these laws in your social life. I also did the same thing when I read it. Undeniably, the very people on whom you will try these laws first will be your family & friends. This is the worst thing you could do for yourself & them. The only thing I got from manipulating my close ones was isolation & loneliness.
Does that mean the book is bad? No, I won’t necessarily say it’s bad. But you need to have an awareness of where you can apply these laws. Robert Greene doesn’t talk about these situations & leaves the decision up to the reader. You will need experience to understand the right way & right place to apply these laws. Mindless application will only cause you pain.
2. Some Laws Are Questionable
While most laws make sense, some don’t make a lot of sense. They need to be understood with context.
Law 15 – Crush Your Enemies Totally
All Great Leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway through total annihilation. The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.
This law is applicable in the past where the supreme rule was of the Almighty King. You can get jailed in the worst-case scenario, if you try to crush your enemy completely.
Law 20 – Do Not Commit to Anyone
It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.
The law is confusing in itself. Let’s say two people are offering you a job position for different amounts of money. Then you can make them compete with each other for you by not choosing a side & you will come out on the top. But still, in the end, you will have to commit to joining one company. Similarly, in a relationship, one will have to commit to a partner to have a wonderful bond. Lack of commitment will only deteriorate it.
3. Not for New Readers
If you are someone who wants to get into the world of reading books, then I won’t recommend picking this book as your first, or even in your first 10 reading book list. This book consists of 400+ pages and has a more complex vocabulary. Instead, I suggest you start with something easier, and then go for more harder books. Or, if you are eager to read it, then the concise 48 Laws of Power will be best for you.
Conclusion
48 Laws of Power is a great book. Although it has some flaws like, it deals with the things of the past, and modern times have changed drastically which makes a few laws not much useful. If you still want to read this, then it is never a bad idea to gain knowledge. Just remember one thing, use this knowledge responsibly.