People read this book either as a step by step guide for obtaining power or a "warning" for manipulative behavior. Both are wrong, at least both go against the true purpose of the book. One of the biggest criticisms for the 48LoP is that it's contradictory, there are laws that directly contradict one another, but if you truly understand how this book is meant to be read this should not surprise you. It's not a manual, it's a book of anecdotes and general wisdom, it's more about a thinking process than specific actions, the last law in the book is "assume formlesness" or be willing to change according to the circumstances. Of course, the real reason many people are revolted by this book is that its philosophy is very amoral, but the book deals with a normally amoral want, and if you observe powerful people in the past and the present you will rarely find "good" moral people. Robert Greene is no God, the 48 laws of power have many flaws, but given how there are very few books that deal with this topic with such bluntness it definitely deserves the respect it gets.
by NeoMachiavell
1 Comment
Robert is an excellent historian and researcher. I believe he said he reads hundreds of books as reference for each book he writes. The history alone in his books is worth the read. However he’s adapted his writing style from Machiavelli not because it’s evil but because it’s blunt. It doesn’t sugar coat anything. These are the facts, here are examples to prove and disprove them throughout history.
People that think it’s an evil book are missing the point. There are unspoken truths of human nature that everyone participates in subconsciously and consciously. All he’s doing is point them out so you know the rules of the game. These truths are intrinsic in human nature and unchanging across time. The historical examples across multiple millennia are meant to emphasize that point.