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- Nov 13, 2019
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- 1,269
Here's a nice piece of Law 20 that I've found in the classic 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene:
"Since power depends greatly on appearances, you must leam the tricks that will enhance your image. Refusing to commit to a person or group is
one of these.
When you hold yourself back, you incur not anger but a kind of respect. You instantly seem powerful because you make yourself ungraspable, rather than succumbing to the group, or to the relationship, as most people do.
This aura of power only grows with time: As your reputation for independence grows, more and more people will come to desire you, wanting to be the one who gets you to commit.
Desire is like a virus: If we see that someone is desired by other people, we tend to find this person desirable too.
The moment you commit, the magic is gone. You become like everyone else.
People will try all kinds of underhanded methods to get you to commit. They will give you gifts, shower you with favors, all to put you
under obligation. Encourage the attention, stimulate their interest, but do not commit at any cost.
Accept the gifts and favors if you so desire, but be careful to maintain your inner aloofness. You cannot inadvertently allow
yourself to feel obligated to anyone.
Remember, though: The goal is not to put people off, or to make it seem that you are incapable of commitment.
Like the Virgin Queen, you need to stir the pot, excite interest, lure people with the possibility of having you.
You have to bend to their attention occasionally, then-but never too far."
Most obvious application is social circle and relationships,
but it can be used for basically any situation that involves seduction (including texting game).
"Since power depends greatly on appearances, you must leam the tricks that will enhance your image. Refusing to commit to a person or group is
one of these.
When you hold yourself back, you incur not anger but a kind of respect. You instantly seem powerful because you make yourself ungraspable, rather than succumbing to the group, or to the relationship, as most people do.
This aura of power only grows with time: As your reputation for independence grows, more and more people will come to desire you, wanting to be the one who gets you to commit.
Desire is like a virus: If we see that someone is desired by other people, we tend to find this person desirable too.
The moment you commit, the magic is gone. You become like everyone else.
People will try all kinds of underhanded methods to get you to commit. They will give you gifts, shower you with favors, all to put you
under obligation. Encourage the attention, stimulate their interest, but do not commit at any cost.
Accept the gifts and favors if you so desire, but be careful to maintain your inner aloofness. You cannot inadvertently allow
yourself to feel obligated to anyone.
Remember, though: The goal is not to put people off, or to make it seem that you are incapable of commitment.
Like the Virgin Queen, you need to stir the pot, excite interest, lure people with the possibility of having you.
You have to bend to their attention occasionally, then-but never too far."
Most obvious application is social circle and relationships,
but it can be used for basically any situation that involves seduction (including texting game).
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