Like many others, I had seen The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene on bestseller lists and library bookshelves. The reviews are confidently above 4 stars and I even had some mates recommend it. I started this book ready to learn the hard-hitting truths about our modern world and power. Indeed, the opening credits lured me in with this premise. I made it to law 12 out of 48 when I got fed up and pulled my head out of the sand.
The 48 Laws of Power pulls opinions, stories, and tales from Russian, Chinese, American and European roots to demonstrate its points. I appreciate that although the laws are ordered, jumping in at any chapter is no problem. Most laws have a reversal which is its counterbalance that clarifies scenarios when following the law is a bad idea. That’s it, simple yet powerful.
As supporters of the 48 laws admit, if you are reading the book to grow your power, you will end up a “highly manipulative person”. The book gives a few examples for each law but doesn’t explain when, where, why, or how to use any of them. If this is your aim you will try to implement the law, ultimately fail, and end up with less power than you started.
Instead, you should have first listened to Greene’s interviews to understand that he is “too nice” to use the 48 laws. Instead, the book should make you aware of others’ manipulation. But quite frankly this perspective is both wrong and useless. The book is written like a scholar explaining power moves NOT how to spot manipulation in day-to-day life. But let’s imagine that the book was a perfect guide to spotting manipulation (which it is not), 48 laws are too many.
As Blaise Pascal so gracefully put it, “I would have written a shorter letter, but did not have the time.”. Having 48 laws is lazy writing. Take, for example, the seeming contradiction between Laws 4 – Always Say Less than Necessary and 6 – Court Attention at All Cost. Personally, I don’t believe they contradict but instead balance each other out. There are contexts where shutting up and holding your cards is beneficial, and other scenarios where ensuring you have attention and make a lasting impression is crucial, but including both laws and their reversals just bloats the book (and some reviewers say Greene recycles his examples halfway through). This lazy writing hiders any chance of trying to use or notice the laws in your own life. But again, let’s say that you manage to spot someone’s manipulation, what do you do? My favourite example of this is Law 10 – Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky.
In Law 10, Greene proposes that some people are “chronically unhappy” and “too far gone”, so you better stay away at all costs. Maybe it’s blind optimism but my unwavering belief is that no one is “too far gone”. However, I agree that many people are stuck in bad habits and misery, in part because of the people they’re surrounded by. So, the book’s answer to this predicament is… to simply leave. For many people, it is not a matter of realising they’re in a bad situation, they already know it. We have all watched a movie (or even seen it in real life) where a couple knows they’re bad for each other but they never break it off. No matter how many times they fight or how frustrating it is to watch, screaming “JUST LEAVE!” or “Law 10 told you so” won’t work. Why? Because they feel stuck and don’t know what else to do. Unfortunately, this is brushed aside by the oversimplified advice to “avoid the unhappy and unlucky”.
My Big Issue
I have a little problem with individual laws (because most fall flat by themselves), and a big issue with the book that drives me to this post. My biggest frustration is…
It is so boring.
I admit that the title is great. It sounds impressive and has lots of potential, but trying to understand the laws felt like Greene took a sanding block to my brain and smoothed it down. The writing style was so dry and unsubstantial, that every word I read aloud tasted of sawdust. All while watching paint dry at half speed and listening to elevator music, it was just such a slog to get through.
Robert Greene has put in the minimum effort for the greatest return. The 48 Laws of Power is lazy, boring, and simple yet powerful at pandering to a vulnerable audience that seeks validation through control over others. Its grandiose title fails as both a warning of other’s manipulation and a guide to cutthroat rule. My takeaway…
The 48 laws aren’t even convincing as an incel’s twisted fantasy.