My swagger is just kicking it up another level... and in honor of me and my squad... i wanna throw out a CLASSIC!!! I copped this on vinyl.... this about to be our ANTHEM soon enough!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
FUNNY ASS VIDEO!!!
OMG!! Them RudeBoyz is at it AGAIN!!! The funniest conversation I've had in a long ass time!!! UNSCRIPTED AS FUCK!!!
That's me on speaker.... :-)
That's me on speaker.... :-)
Monday, February 11, 2008
New Gnarls Barkley!!!
First single off the upcoming Gnarls Barkley album... this song is called "Run"
Prada Does Us some good on ideas... IF YOU GOT THE MONEY!!
Prada ‘Tricks’ Teddy Bear Keychains, about US$150 each
Heart Coin Purse, about US$200 / Heart Picture Frame Keychain, about US$140 / Heart Mirror Keychain, about US$150
As V-Day is approaching, every brand out there is banging out products to celebrate this special day. Prada has released several products to capture your heart, from cute cuddly Prada ‘Tricks’ teddy bear keychains to cute animal and heart keychains to bracelets and coin purses all in which in the red color scheme representing V-Day. I’m loving the Prada ‘Tricks’ teddy bear keychains, they’re too cute. More pics after the jump…
V Day Gift tips!!
Looks like the Fafi for M.A.C. Cosmetics line has released earlier than their expected release date of February 13th. This collection makes it just in time for Valentine’s Day, if you boys are scratching your heads on what to get your hunnie…perhaps some Fafiness? The site dedicated to this collection is setup like a bedroom, very cute - there you can check out upcoming events, videos and shop online. The products range from cosmetics to shirts and scarves to handbags and cosmetic bags, even Fafi dolls tons of varieties to choose from. Will you buy any products? If yes what?
Dr. Romanelli X Lupe "The Cool" Collection ready to drop!!
Chicago based artist Lupe Fiasco and jacket maker extraordinaire Dr. Romanelli have teamed up in a recent collection based on Lupe Fiasco's sophomore album, The Cool. The Cool collection is represented by a series of reversible jackets depicting artwork seen in Lupe's album cover art.
"Good MORNING!!"
This is a sneak peek at the video for Kanye's track "Good Morning"... oh yeah.. he RECENTLY finished shooting "Flashing Lights" so be on the lookout for THAT too!!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Peep this knowledge!!
So this year's act labeled as the "Next Big Thing", the Cool Kids, recently had an interview which was pretty hot. Ringtone rappers? Style? the internet?
You got it!!!
The Cool Kids are hip-hop babies -- for real. Antoine “Mickey Rocks” Reed, 19, and Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll, 23, weren’t raised on classic soul or funk like many of rap’s older stars. Instead, they grew up in the suburbs of Mount Clemens, Michigan and Matteson, Illinois, respectively, on a steady diet of Nas, Jay-Z, Slick Rick, and Eric B. and Rakim. They’re more than familiar with the music that today’s “hip-hop is dead” purists yearn for. Their video for “Black Mags” is an ode to BMX bikes and rap’s golden ‘80s -- with fly girls rockin’ huge doorknockers and d-boys donning crisp kicks and Starter hats. It’s far from a gimmick though: the Chicago duo channels the carefree and energetic essence of that era rather than trying to recreate it. 2008 should see the release of an EP or full-length from these critical darlings, who Rhapsody recently tapped for a starring role in a commercial with Sara Bareilles. We reunited with the Kids in New York. Warning: Artists who don’t support downloading won’t be too happy with the interview that follows.
Rhapsody: What would you say is the most trouble you guys got into coming up?
Mickey: I was 16 on Halloween and we were driving around egging people and throwing water balloons. We had on all-black and ski masks in my friend Mike’s Dodge Intrepid. We threw eggs at this Explorer. Then the headlights came on and we were like, “Oh sh*t.” We sped off and then they start chasing us. They rammed us from behind and wouldn’t stop. I think it was this girl that went to our school’s dad and he was a known drug dealer, so he might have thought it was something else. At one point we stopped and dude hopped out the back with a baseball bat and shattered Mike’s back windshield. Then we got to a dead end somehow. I was like, “Yo, everyone might as well run ‘cause this dude is trying to kill us.” And then we heard shots. The same night the cops came to all our houses. We came back the next day. And the car was totally totaled. I was grounded for, like, ever.
Chuck, when you were young, your father made you memorize “Paid in Full”...
Chuck: My mom was upset like, “Why do you have a three year old rapping this song about money?” But my dad liked the song. My grandfather used to have me do it anytime there was a family function. I just came to love the cool songs that made me feel like I was the popular kid. It also goes into the point, what song out right now would a dad make their kid memorize? There’s not too many. It’s sad. When people ask, “Why do we make music?” It’s because there aren’t songs that [are] cool to teach your kid. Half of the time, it’s crap or inappropriate.
You guys obviously have a heavy old school-influence. How far back does your musical frame of reference go?
Chuck: His is more like the beginning of Jay-Z and Nas. Mine was more towards the end of where all those crews like the Get Fresh Crew were splitting up. It doesn’t make sense for people to think that we couldn’t know [that music]. If that’s the first thing you hear, then that’s all you know -- it’s like your language. Are people gonna say, “Hey, those kids don’t know anything about English because they weren’t around when the language was developed.” We came up on it. It wasn’t like, “Let’s do the old school thing because it’s cool.” Nobody is gonna tell Jack White he doesn’t know what’s going on when Led Zeppelin was poppin’. I’m stubborn. I don’t wanna sound futuristic. I wanna sound like [when] it started because that’s what made it such the phenomenon. Back then, they were bringing people together. It was punk kids coming to Afrika Bambaataa shows.
How do you guys feel about your “Ringtone Rap” peers, like Hurricane Chris and Soulja Boy Tell' Em?
Mickey: A lot of people give dudes like that flack because it’s like, “Oh, you’re not a true lyricist.” That stuff is fun. If it’s making the party jump and it’s a dope song, why hate on the dudes?
Chuck: Hurricane Chris can rap. I actually get mad that people throw him in that category. “A Bay Bay” was a dope song if no one knew what it meant. Bay Bay was a DJ. That was some real New Orleansbounce club that popped off. “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was a song that was two years old.
Mickey: People are thinking these songs are for you to sit in your room while you’re reading your book and analyze. These are songs you play at a party and have a good time.
Chuck: I don’t wanna hear Talib Kweli at a party.
Mickey: I’m not trying to hear “Ether” at a party. That would make me feel weird. Their stuff is made for certain situations.
How did “Black Mags” come about?
Chuck: The dude that did the video, Joe Esquivel, he comes over and we wanted to do a little short, “How Chuck Makes Beats” video. I was just going through sound banks and I found the snare that was in there and I had just got some velocity sensitive pads, like MPC pads. I started playing on them and then I hit the bass. ... I listened to it and couldn’t stop thinking about a rap to write to it, and the first line of the song just came to me.
Mickey: He had his verse and then I was thinking about what would be ill for a hook concept. Then he started leaning toward, “Pedal down the foothill,” from “Gold and a Pager,” and then I was thinking, “Damn, that line I said in ‘1,2,’ ‘I’m on the Dyno with the black mag’ -- put that with the half you already have in there.”
How long did it take to shoot that video?
Chuck: Three days. Joe got a couple of his boys he shot skate videos with to help out. We did some shows to get $2000. Some kid that went to the same school I went to was like, “We should put these animations in there. At first, I was like, “Why?” Next thing you know, we saw the test shots for it and we were like, “Damn.”
One of the first things that stuck out about the video were how tight Mickey’s jeans were.
Chuck: We’ve heard that shit so many times. [Laughs].
Mickey: Yeah, it’s more or less a shocker because I’m black. A lot of other ethnic groups rock tight jeans. It wasn’t really anything new to me. I guess people didn’t know what to think. It’s just a weird first impression for some people. I sometimes forget that there’s a whole rest of the world that doesn’t live in a city.
Chuck: You get those people that are like, Oh, this video sucks ‘cause the dude’s pants are tight.
How hard was it to translate your strong online presence into actual airplay and shows?
Mickey: The online community is such a credible source of finding new stuff that it was kind of like our mixtape. Nowadays, a blogger is more credible than a huge hip-hop magazine.
Chuck: Before the blogs, we made sure to get all our joints to the DJs that mattered. We came through Flosstradamus. So with them having the plugs they had, other DJs would be like, “What’s that?” [DJs] were trying to beat other people to playing it. So we knew we had something. We don’t wanna be a part of the old formula. ... The music that we’re making [is] for this first “album” that is not an album. Songs that will get put on a disc, so you can either have or not have. What we’re doing right now is what we want people to know first.
Mickey: The right format to present it to the public.
Chuck: Packaging, format, how we tell you about it, all that. Everybody is like, “Aright, so when’s the album coming out?” We’re probably just going to keep leaking songs till we figure this thing out. Why not? Who cares? If we have a song and you want to hear it, you can get it. So what is the point? I’m just really rebellious toward what I can and can’t do. I can do whatever I want. If it was up to me, I’d just make CDs and put them out. You can’t sell music, man. It’s not possible. You can sell tickets to a show so you can do those songs. We’re past selling music. It’s boring. Saying, “Here, buy my CD,” is like saying, “I hate you. Just give me it. What are you going to do with my $12?”
Did you see Ghostface’s blog entry where he was mad that people didn’t buy his new album?
Chuck: It hurts to hear Ghostface say that. Artists that wanna protect their music or [say] don’t bootleg or don’t download, what are you gonna do? It’s like trying to stop everybody from doing drugs. You gonna tell somebody to not smoke weed? It’s not gonna happen. We have this Totally Flossed Out EP that we didn’t do or put together or even name that people are downloading. For a while, we tried to stop all the downloading sites. And then as you put one down, there’s another one that pops up. So it’s like that [arcade game] -- bang one head, the other one pops up. You gonna keep on doing that?
Has your label Chocolate Industries been telling you guys not to leak songs?
Chuck: It has nothing to do with the label. People might criticize us for it like, “Oh, you’re stupid. You should want to get your money.” This is why our whole generation of entertainers is so out of their mind right now. Everybody is cracked out ‘cause of that greed. If you’re good and you’re true to yourself, money will come. First of all, I didn’t know what else I would ever do.
You had no other aspirations?
Chuck: I had no other aspirations. People are like, “Are you guys gonna make a clothing line?” I would never want to be a part of a business where I had to develop clothes. I like to wear them. A fragrance line? I wear soap. The only thing we really like doing is making songs and meeting other musicians that like to make songs. There is an industry where we can all make music and live comfortably. No one understands that we’re on the brink of not having that any more because there’s nothing good left. I don’t know what happened. You got actresses making albums. There’s no way that should be happening.
I also figured I'd introduce you guys to their first single... "Black Mags"!! SICK SHIT!!
Jigga Label rumors not all tru!!
Warner Music Group chairman and former Def Jam executive Lyor Cohen has denied rumors that the company is in talks with Jay-Z to launch a new record label called the Carter Music Group. When questioned by New York Daily News columnists Rush & Molloy, Cohen expressed a desire to work with Jay again, but denied that any such talks had taken place. “I would be honored and privileged to work with him again,” Cohen explained. “Bringing Jay-Z to the Warner Music Group would be a privilege and a coup. I’d do it in a heartbeat.” Jay stepped down from his post as president and CEO of Def Jam at the end of last year, saying that he felt it was time to pursue other ventures. However, several sources have suggested that he was asking for too much money and was unable to reach an agreement with Island Def Jam chairman LA Reid for a new contract. An unidentified Def Jam exec told Rush & Molloy that they did not believe Reid would mind competing with Jay, who is still signed to the label as an artist. “Starting a record label from scratch is very difficult,” the source explained. “If Warner Music wants to do it, better them than us.”
DUDE!!! WTF is up with the LUPE SALES??!!
Alicia Keys took back the #1 spot this week, in her off-again, on-again reign, weathering each week's new additions. Ms. Keys was joined by Rock outfits The Mars Volta and Bullet For My Valentine, who held #3 and #4 respectively, after The Juno Soundtrack. Keyshia Cole gained over 17% in sales since last week, bumping Chris Brown and getting a strong surge of Interscope energy. Lupe Fiasco fell from the Top 5 overall urban artists for the first week since his release. G.O.O.D. Music crooner John Legend joins the charts with his live album, closing out the caption with a #27 spot.
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)
Rank Artist Album This Week Total
1
Alicia Keys
As I Am
61,259
2,907,459
6
Mary J Blige
Growing Pains
47,219
1,132,462
8
Keyshia Cole
Just Like You
36,412
1,095,743
11
Chris Brown
Exclusive
33,311
1,059,331
27
John Legend
Live From Philadelphia
20,117
70,158
As predicted, a new single pushed Soulja Boy back into the mix, as the prodigy pushes for a platinum plaque by spring. The 17-year-old bumped ahead of Lupe in doing so. Birdman also climbed ahead of mainstays Jay-Z and Kanye West despite lacking the initial sales of his super-star peers.
Other Notables… Rank Artist Album This Week Total
31
Soulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com 18,899
745,968
44
Lupe Fiasco
The Cool
15,841
302,052
57
Birdman 5*Stunna 12,807 246,196
61
Jay-Z
American Gangster
12,092
965,368
63
Kanye West
Graduation
12,011
1,970,212
Next month, legend Pete Rock drops his highly anticipated New York's Finest, along with new albums by Erykah Badu, Rick Ross, Akrobatik, and many more. It's getting warmer this February, but will the charts reflect it?
Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)
Rank Artist Album This Week Total
1
Alicia Keys
As I Am
61,259
2,907,459
6
Mary J Blige
Growing Pains
47,219
1,132,462
8
Keyshia Cole
Just Like You
36,412
1,095,743
11
Chris Brown
Exclusive
33,311
1,059,331
27
John Legend
Live From Philadelphia
20,117
70,158
As predicted, a new single pushed Soulja Boy back into the mix, as the prodigy pushes for a platinum plaque by spring. The 17-year-old bumped ahead of Lupe in doing so. Birdman also climbed ahead of mainstays Jay-Z and Kanye West despite lacking the initial sales of his super-star peers.
Other Notables… Rank Artist Album This Week Total
31
Soulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com 18,899
745,968
44
Lupe Fiasco
The Cool
15,841
302,052
57
Birdman 5*Stunna 12,807 246,196
61
Jay-Z
American Gangster
12,092
965,368
63
Kanye West
Graduation
12,011
1,970,212
Next month, legend Pete Rock drops his highly anticipated New York's Finest, along with new albums by Erykah Badu, Rick Ross, Akrobatik, and many more. It's getting warmer this February, but will the charts reflect it?
Cocaine is a HELL OF A DRUG!!!
Amy Winehouse's performance at The Grammys this weekend is in dire jeopardy after a visit from London Police on Tuesday (Feb 5) concerning a recently leaked video in which Winehouse is seen smoking crack after taking cocaine, ecstasy pills and Valium. Reports claim authorities questioned the troubled singer for two hours on the matter.
Even without yesterday's interrogation, Winehouse (who has been nominated for six awards including "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "Rehab" and "Best Album" for Back to Black) was still facing obstacles vying to attend the Grammys. U.S. officials still have not granted the songstress a Visa because of a previous drug charge.
Winehouse is currently seeking medical help at a local rehabilitation center, possibly in the wake of the leaked incriminating video.
Even without yesterday's interrogation, Winehouse (who has been nominated for six awards including "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "Rehab" and "Best Album" for Back to Black) was still facing obstacles vying to attend the Grammys. U.S. officials still have not granted the songstress a Visa because of a previous drug charge.
Winehouse is currently seeking medical help at a local rehabilitation center, possibly in the wake of the leaked incriminating video.
Olympic adidas!!!
To commemorate the 2008 Olympics... adidas is dropping some sexy ass sneaks with the FRESH ASS COLORWAY!!! These shits is CRAZY!! (Also available in a white version)
Grammy DUNKS!!
Music's biggest awards, the Grammy's are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Nike has teamed up with the awards show for a special Dunk High. Although the majority of pairs will be seeded to celebrities, a small shipment is destined for Fred Segal Melrose this Saturday.
Fred Segal Melrose
8100 Melrose Avenue
Between N. Crescent Heights Blvd. and N. Havenhurst Dr.
Los Angeles CA 90046
p: 323.651.4129
Huf X Vans.. NICE!!
It looks like the San Francisco based skate shop, HUF, is currently working with footwear makers, Vans, for a new collaboration. Unfortunately there isn't that much information other than the fact that they have chosen the Vans Chukka model for the collaboration sneaker and that there will also be a matching New Era 59Fifty Fitted Cap to go along side the shoes. Guess we'll have just to wait and see!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB MARLEY!!!
Today is the birthday of LEGENDARY ICON, Bob Marley. In memory and honor of him.... I wanna play my FAVORITE Marley sone!! It's called "Easy Skankin'"... and OF COUSRE IT'S ABOUT BLOWING THE FINEST OF GANJA!! lol
PSA: BITCHES AIN'T SHIT!!!
I just wanted to leave you all today with a special video... HELLA FUNNY!!! LISTEN TO THE WHOLE THING!!!
and don't be afraid to COMMENT!!
and don't be afraid to COMMENT!!
wow... i didn't even notice it!!
In HONOR of BLACK HISTORY MONTH... I want to play a video with my FAVORITE PASTIME in the ENGLISH LANGUAGE!!!... saying the most CONTROVERSIAL WORD IN AMERICA.... this song actually says it 132 TIMES!!! HOLY FUCKS!!
.....................................................................................
NIGGA!!! LOL
.....................................................................................
NIGGA!!! LOL
CRUNK AIN'T DEAD!!
I just felt the urge to get CRUNK at school... so Imma just drop some new Shawty Lo .. this is "Dun Dun"
Something for the fly girls!!
Limited edition "Gucci Hearts NY" collection that was released along with the opening of the new Gucci NYC flagship store. Now they also launched an entire website for the occasion, where you can take a tour of the new store, upload pictures of NYC, and read their celebrity blogs. The celebrity fashion bloggers also give their favorite spots in NYC. copy the link
http://guccilovesny.com/
GOD IS GOLDEN!!
We bet Nike hopes these golden-brown trainer SBs generate at least ¼ of the hype the Supreme joints did. That’d mean around 5,000 nerds hugging the block on drop day. Might as well LINE UP!! Or hit up eBay!!!
Let Me Put You On th GAME!!
My man SPANK ROCK clowning at a concert!!! If you don't know what's up... check this out... The song is called "Shake It Till My Dick Turns RACIST!!"
MY FAVORITE COLOR!!! LOL
GODDAMN THESE IS SIZZICK!!!
It seems as though everybody on the Supra squad is eating well nowadays. Sure, Muska’s the face of the team, but the Cali-based brand doesn’t hold back when it comes to pumping out dope signature shoes for their other riders. This green/white Sport that couples diamond perforated leather with quality suede turns out to be Tom Penny’s pro model. Want to know more about Penny? Hit the homie’s bio, then look out for these sticky-green joints to hit stores this week.
$74, suprafootwear.com
It seems as though everybody on the Supra squad is eating well nowadays. Sure, Muska’s the face of the team, but the Cali-based brand doesn’t hold back when it comes to pumping out dope signature shoes for their other riders. This green/white Sport that couples diamond perforated leather with quality suede turns out to be Tom Penny’s pro model. Want to know more about Penny? Hit the homie’s bio, then look out for these sticky-green joints to hit stores this week.
$74, suprafootwear.com
FLY SHIT FOR THE SKATERS!!
Nike Skateboarding has released their upcoming styles for Mmarquee releases include the Skate or Die Dunk Low, Fender Dunk Mid and Air Trainer II TW which first debuted with that hype-fest Supreme release. Other releases include a P-rod II, Blazer Low, Zoom Team Edition and Zoom Regime. These aren't the full range of releases with other limited edition drops as well, however the roster shown here should all be hitting stores now
BLACK HITSTORY SHIT!!
Since 1918, Chicago based American Needle has been the original purveyor of replica baseball caps. Now branching outwards into different areas, they've recently teamed up with the estates of African American icons, activist Malcolm X and popular comedian Redd Foxx. Three styles are seen here incorporating vivid imagery from both Malcolm X and Redd Foxx. Check your local American Needle retailers for more details
CLICK NAMES FOR DETAILS!!
Alife has just released a new pair of sneakers, the Alife Everybody Mid Premium. The Everybody Mid's feature embossed full grain leather and comes in three colorways - black, red, and white. Available exclusively at twelve locations in the States which include Alife NYC, Alife LA, Bodega (Boston), Packers (Teaneck & Jersey City), Within (Philadelphia), Commonwealth (Virginia Beach & Washington D.C.), Wish (Atlanta), Premium Goods (Houston), Motive 807 (Austin), and HUF (San Francisco.
This is what's up... for SNEAKERGEADS ONLY!!
OM-FUCKING-G!!!! Crazy shit for all you SNEAKERHEADS out there!!!
CNBC's premiere of their in-depth look at the history of Nike and its cultural attachment with society is set to hit a television near you on February 12th. A trailer from the inaugural episode address' the campaign behind "Just Do It", the slogan that would go on to become a house hold phrase around the world. The Youtube video can be seen here.
CNBC's premiere of their in-depth look at the history of Nike and its cultural attachment with society is set to hit a television near you on February 12th. A trailer from the inaugural episode address' the campaign behind "Just Do It", the slogan that would go on to become a house hold phrase around the world. The Youtube video can be seen here.
The 48 Steps to KEEPIN' IT INFAMOU$
Well... that bitch ass nigga JOSH got my book still... and I missed it.. so i figured I'd go online and find the list just to review it.... I looked at it and figured I might as well put it up for y'all to see too!! So here they are....
THE 48 LAWS OF POWER
>Law –1- NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
>Law –2- NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
>Law –3- CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS
Keep people off balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
>Law –4- ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you’re saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
>Law –5- SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION – GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
>Law –6- COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COSTS
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all costs. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.
>Law –7- GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a god-like aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
>Law –8- MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU – USE BAIT IF NECESSARY
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.
>Law –9- WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT
Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up are stronger and last longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
>Law –10- INFECTION : AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY
You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you.
Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.
>Law –11- LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU
To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.
>Law –12- USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM
One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.
>Law –13- WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE
If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.
>Law –14- POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY
Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.
>Law –15- CRUSH YOUR ENEMY 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 than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.
>Law –16- USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR
Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.
>Law –17- KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENSE: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY
Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.
>Law –18- DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF – ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS
The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people, find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.
>Law –19- KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH – DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON
There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuvre some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.
>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.
>Law –21- PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER – SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK
No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick , then, 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.
>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 cheek you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.
>Law –23- CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES
Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.
>Law –24- PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER
The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtship and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.
>Law –25- RE-CREATE YOURSELF
Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.
>Law –26- KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN
You must seem a paragon of efficiency and civility: your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as unwitting pawns and screens to disguise your involvement.
>Law –27- PLAY ON PEOPLE’S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your belief system will bring you untold power.
>Law –28- ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS
If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.
>Law –29- PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END
The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.
>Law –30- MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS
Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.
>Law –31- CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL
The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: they are gored wherever they turn.
>Law –32- PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES
The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.
>Law –33- DISCOVER EACH MAN’S THUMBSCREW
Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.
>Law –34- BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE
The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: in the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself, and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.
>Law –35- MASTER THE ART OF TIMING
Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moments; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruitation.
>Law –36- DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.
>Law –37- CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES
Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.
>Law –38- THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS
If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.
>Law –39- STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH
Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.
>Law –40- DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH
What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.
>Law –41- 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 famous 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 of your own making: establish your own name and identify by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.
>Law –42- 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 of good will. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.
>Law –43- 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 by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.
>Law –44- DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT
The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for 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 them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of the Mirror Effect.
>Law –45- PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE
Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on a day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.
>Law –46- NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.
>Law –47- DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY LEARN WHEN TO STOP
The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.
>Law – 48- ASSUME FORMLESSNESS
By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order.
Everything changes.
THE 48 LAWS OF POWER
>Law –1- NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
>Law –2- NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
>Law –3- CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS
Keep people off balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
>Law –4- ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you’re saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
>Law –5- SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION – GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
>Law –6- COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COSTS
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all costs. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.
>Law –7- GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a god-like aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
>Law –8- MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU – USE BAIT IF NECESSARY
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.
>Law –9- WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT
Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up are stronger and last longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
>Law –10- INFECTION : AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY
You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you.
Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.
>Law –11- LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU
To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.
>Law –12- USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM
One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.
>Law –13- WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE
If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.
>Law –14- POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY
Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.
>Law –15- CRUSH YOUR ENEMY 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 than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.
>Law –16- USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR
Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.
>Law –17- KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENSE: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY
Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.
>Law –18- DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF – ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS
The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people, find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.
>Law –19- KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH – DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON
There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuvre some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.
>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.
>Law –21- PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER – SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK
No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick , then, 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.
>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 cheek you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.
>Law –23- CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES
Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.
>Law –24- PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER
The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtship and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.
>Law –25- RE-CREATE YOURSELF
Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.
>Law –26- KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN
You must seem a paragon of efficiency and civility: your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as unwitting pawns and screens to disguise your involvement.
>Law –27- PLAY ON PEOPLE’S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your belief system will bring you untold power.
>Law –28- ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS
If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.
>Law –29- PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END
The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.
>Law –30- MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS
Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.
>Law –31- CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL
The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: they are gored wherever they turn.
>Law –32- PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES
The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.
>Law –33- DISCOVER EACH MAN’S THUMBSCREW
Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.
>Law –34- BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE
The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: in the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself, and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.
>Law –35- MASTER THE ART OF TIMING
Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moments; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruitation.
>Law –36- DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.
>Law –37- CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES
Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.
>Law –38- THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS
If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.
>Law –39- STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH
Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.
>Law –40- DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH
What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.
>Law –41- 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 famous 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 of your own making: establish your own name and identify by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.
>Law –42- 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 of good will. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.
>Law –43- 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 by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.
>Law –44- DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT
The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for 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 them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of the Mirror Effect.
>Law –45- PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE
Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on a day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.
>Law –46- NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.
>Law –47- DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY LEARN WHEN TO STOP
The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.
>Law – 48- ASSUME FORMLESSNESS
By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order.
Everything changes.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
WELCOME INTO MY WORLD!!!
Welcome!!!
This is MY WORLD!!! From now on.... you have COMPLETE ACCESS TO ME!!
Imma have the hottest NEWS on FLY SHIT... That means CLOTHES, KICKS, and MUSIC!! Swagger Jackers and 5% niggas... PLEASE LEAVE NOW!! ALL OTHERS ARE WELCOME!!!
And just to give you a little taste of what's coming your way HERE'S MY CURRENT ANTHEM!!! COURTESY OF THE COOL KIDS!!!
This is MY WORLD!!! From now on.... you have COMPLETE ACCESS TO ME!!
Imma have the hottest NEWS on FLY SHIT... That means CLOTHES, KICKS, and MUSIC!! Swagger Jackers and 5% niggas... PLEASE LEAVE NOW!! ALL OTHERS ARE WELCOME!!!
And just to give you a little taste of what's coming your way HERE'S MY CURRENT ANTHEM!!! COURTESY OF THE COOL KIDS!!!
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