Laws of Power
Distilled rules for navigating power, social dynamics, and strategic positioning. Part career, part philosophy.
General
- When possible, extend olive branches to previous opponents — they often over-perform.
- Keep secrets from everyone. Especially those closest to you.
- Your clarity is their weapon. If they see your endgame, they can block it. Move like a ghost — clear to you, unclear to them.
- Cultivate mystery. Pause before answering. Edit your speech like a poet, not a journalist.
- You are a brand. Everything you do is a brand extension. The market will assign you a value whether or not you curate it.
- Become impossible to ignore. Dress distinctively. Speak with timing.
- Offer selective access, not availability.
- Never appear eager — let others reinitiate.
- When tempted to argue, execute instead. Build over debate. Show receipts.
- If attacked, don’t respond — overachieve.
- Deliver visible wins quickly, especially after being challenged.
- Distance swiftly from chaos — even if it’s family.
- Power comes from being irreplaceable. Create value that cannot be replicated — emotional, intellectual, strategic — and guard the formula.
- Become the connector. Introduce people to opportunity, make them feel seen, but never give them the full playbook. Stay necessary, not convenient.
- One act of calculated sincerity buys limitless trust. Honesty is a weapon when used sparingly.
- Own a small mistake before it’s noticed. It earns forgiveness.
- In group settings, appear fascinated by others. Most people crave attention — they’ll reveal what you can later use.
- If someone ghosts, humiliates, or betrays you: don’t go back for closure. Upgrade your life visibly. Never re-engage.
In Professional Contexts
- Don’t be the most available person — be the most desired.
- Frame your accomplishments as the natural result of talent, not a desperate struggle.
- Work on visible projects with quantitative outcomes on important metrics.
- Never do extra work without making it known.
- Act like a peer, never a subordinate.
- After a final interview: send a thank-you note, then go silent. Your absence creates scarcity.
On Reputation
- Reputation is not your resume. It’s the professional “scent” you leave behind.
- One great micro-project sent to a hiring manager > 20 portal applications.
- Don’t scatter-gun your applications. Concentrate your forces.
See also: 3G-career-rules | 1G-philosophy | 2-mait-isms