Book: 48 Laws of Power; Step-11
Published: 1998 & Pages: 480
14x Step Learning
Step-11
Learn to use Skill, Not Good will
Gaining power isn’t easy, and when you need help, how you ask for it matters. You might think that asking people for help out of kindness is the best way, but that’s not always the case. In the 1400s, there was an Italian prince in Lucca who had support from a powerful family called the Poggios. However, after becoming powerful, he ignored the family and focused only on his interests.
This made the Poggios angry, and they started planning with other families to remove the prince from power. But before they did, a Poggio family member, Stefano, suggested a diplomatic approach. He went to the prince, told him about the upcoming rebellion, and asked him to think about what the Poggios had done for him. However, instead of changing his ways and rewarding the family, the prince invited the Poggios to his palace. But there, he didn’t treat them well. He had them put in prison and executed, including Stefano.
In simple terms, asking people to do the right thing doesn’t always work. It’s often better to appeal to their self-interest. But there’s a challenge: many people can’t see beyond their self-interest to consider others’ interests. In the sixteenth century, Portuguese emissaries went to Japan to make the Japanese become Christians. However, their plan failed, not because they were unwilling to consider the Japanese self-interest, but because they were too focused on their religious goals to see what the Japanese really wanted. In contrast, when the Dutch came to Japan a century later, they were smart. They understood the Japanese interests. The Japanese wanted trade agreements to access the European market, which the Dutch offered. As a result, the Japanese emperor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, chose the Dutch over the Portuguese
10x Short Questions
1. Why is asking people for help based on kindness not always the best approach to gain power?
It may not work well because people often focus on their self-interest.
2. In the 1400s, who supported the Italian prince in Lucca, making him famous?
The Poggio family supported the Italian prince in Lucca.
3. What happened when the prince in Lucca ignored the Poggio family's support?
The Poggios became angry and planned to overthrow the prince.
4. How did Stefano from the Poggio family suggest dealing with the prince's behavior?
Stefano suggested a diplomatic approach and talked to the prince.
5. What was the prince's response to Stefano's diplomatic approach?
The prince invited the Poggios to his palace but had them imprisoned and executed.
6. What is the main idea about convincing people from the paragraph?
It’s often better to appeal to people’s self-interest rather than asking them to do the right thing.
7. Why did the Portuguese emissaries fail to make the Japanese become Christians in the 16th century?
They were too focused on their religious goals and didn’t consider the Japanese self-interest.
8. What were the Dutch's successful tactics when they came to Japan in the 17th century?
The Dutch understood the Japanese interests, especially in trade agreements, and offered what the Japanese wanted.
9. Who did the Japanese emperor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, choose to work with in the end?
He chose to work with the Dutch over the Portuguese.
10. What lesson can we learn from the examples in the paragraph?
It’s often more effective to understand and appeal to people’s self-interest when seeking their cooperation.
Check Your Knowledge
10x MCQs
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