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You’re better off waiting for the tide to turn in your favor, and you’ll be alive to take advantage of it. But you wouldn’t be alive to enjoy the rewards. Maybe you want to inspire future followers.

#Law 21 48 laws of power how to#

Brecht knew how to follow Law 22: Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power.Īre there any exceptions to Law 22 of the 48 Laws of Power? Should you ever not use the surrender tactic? Some might argue that there are situations or causes that call for martyrdom rather than surrender.

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Brecht was thus free to continue his work.īy appearing to respect and surrender to the committee’s authority, Brecht made its members feel important while at the same time subtly mocking their ignorance of his work. After only an hour, the committee dismissed him, thanking him for his cooperation and proclaiming him an example to other witnesses. Although his English was quite good, he brought an interpreter who was able to confuse the committee about the meaning of his writings, which appeared to vary depending on whether you read them in German or English. Other writers were angry and confrontational when they appeared before the committee, and ended up suffering for it, unable to continue their work.īrecht, however, was polite and deferential, but gave ambiguous answers. He wrote anticapitalist screenplays, which was fine until the 1950s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee began its Hollywood witch-hunts. to work in the film industry when Hitler rose to power. Here’s an example of how to apply Law 22 of the 48 Laws of Power: The German Writer Bertolt Brecht, a communist, fled to the U.S. Surrender often puts you in the best position to benefit when the crash inevitably comes. The person on top today will eventually fall.

Eventually, he was allowed to return home, and when the kingdom of Wu was undermined by drought and infighting, Goujian attacked and won easily. Rather than fleeing, he gave the victor his riches and went to work in Wu’s stables, where he could watch and learn how to defeat him in the future. In ancient China, a king, Goujian, lost a battle to the ruler of Wu. Instead, stay close enough to strike when you’re ready.

But eventually, he’ll catch up with you and crush you. Sometimes when overpowered by an enemy, it’s tempting to run. If you get up too soon, you’ll ruin the charade and end up suffering. It requires self-control to play dead long enough to make your opponent think she’s defeated you. On the surface, you appear compliant, but inwardly you’re standing firm. While your opponent is lulled into thinking she’s defeated you, you now have the space to build your strength, discover your enemy’s weaknesses, and plan revenge. This is how to use the surrender tactic. That halts your opponent’s aggression and confuses her, while giving you the upper hand. If you’re the weaker party, you’ll be decimated.Īccording to Law 22 of the 48 Laws of Power, a wiser and more effective tactic is to surrender, to turn the other cheek. But your enemy will step up his aggression in turn. Your first instinct will be to respond to aggression with greater aggression. People typically overreact to opponents’ actions, which escalates their problems. It may seem counterintuitive, but surrendering to your opponents can be the best course because it puts you in a position of control. This gives you time to build strength and undermine your victor, while you wait for his power to weaken. When you’re weaker, surrender rather than fighting for the sake of honor. Overview of Law #22: Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

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Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of 'The 48 Laws of Power' by Robert Greene.