The 48 Laws of Power

This book takes the worst parts of the human mind and drags them down into the abyss. And then thrives there. When you open this book, it’s akin to stepping at the edge of the cavern. You don’t notice how its stalactite-filled ceiling echo the horrors and the gore and the piss and the vomit of others that came before. Its passages are full of the bodies of good men and women who were caught by the beasts that live there. You know you should turn back after seeing the first mangled corpse, but you’re enthralled by the journey. It may come off as exciting. “What harm can it do?” you might think. “There’s treasure at the end,” you might think., Then you see the first demon of forty-eight. It doesn’t do anything. It stands, however, at the centre of the first level. It stares at you, its black eyes full of emptyness. You may grow scared. And you’d be right to. Or, like a fool, you will approach this horned burnt skin creature. It stands tall and appears almost as if it were a part of the cavern itself. Its transparent nature, made to lure you into thinking it does not exist, makes it even more dangerous. And when you are well within its reach, it seizes you with its mighty clawed hand and eats you whole. But something strange happens. You don’t die. You fall. And you fall far., When you finally come to, your body, full of pain, and soreness, and that horrible feeling of nausea explodes inside you. As if a piece of your soul was eaten away. It takes you a while before you realise that you are now deeper into the abyss. There’s less light. But you still hear some of the comforts of nature. The rushing water into the bodies of aqua. The sound of drops from the stalactites. The distant birds chirping. You would think that what you saw was some illusion. That you slipped and fell. Or that some other thing occurred. A bad lunch; a meal that made you ill. If you were smart, you’d turn around and go home. But most people aren’t smart. They keep going., You hear a fox’s cry suddenly. You can’t believe your ears. A fox? Here? And you follow the sound. When you arrive to where the fox sits, its back to you. You might say, “Oh you poor creature. Are you lost? Do you need any help getting out?” Then it turns. It’s not a fox. It’s not….an animal in the normal sense. The world around you suddenly grows colder and darker. You may take a step back. But the fox, with red eyes, eyes that are bleeding and putrid and full of maggots, follows you. It’s screeching. Loudly. And you cover your ears. But that doesn’t help. And when the fox reaches up to you, it lunges at you. And eats its way into your heart. And you black out. When you awaken, the cavern is different. As if you were moved elsewhere. The walls are growing a faint red. Your chest feels like it’s on fire. And you can’t feel your arm. But it slowly begins to regain its feeling. Then you puke out blackness. It’s not a puke like anything you’ve seen. The human body isn’t made to expel something like this. Something is clearly wrong. That was the second demon. You might panic and run. Or you might not. If you were smart, you’d turn around and go home. But most people aren’t smart. They keep going., You rub your head, then your arm. You get up to your feet and look around. Things seem hazy. Much darker than before. You’re confused. You don’t know what you saw. You look around. Maybe try and find a way out. Suddenly you see a light at the end. You decide to follow it. And you spot an old man sitting on a small mound. He had a long flowing white beard, a grand white gown with the names of holy people written and he wore a crown. Much rather, he wore seven crowns made of gold, silver and copper, and each crown was full of diamonds of various colours and shapes. His eyes were gentle. And smiled, like a father does to his child. His presence gave off something warm about it., “Who are you?” You might ask., “I am the last of all that is good. Turn ye back and never return. Ere thou too shalt be consumed,” the mysterious fellow said, in a loud and booming voice. You might think the old man mad, others might think the old man illogical, and finally others might say that he’s ignorant or outdated or that he can’t understand the intricacies of the new world, the modern world. He is a relic of the past, with all those pesky morals and traditions. We can’t have morals or traditions in the future., If you heed the advice, you may yet be saved. If you don’t, then your soul will slowly be consumed. Until you too are no different than the demons you should rightfully fear. Even if you were not a religious person, it would be obvious to see how unethical this book is. You will become a spawn of evil. And no amount of prayer and church-going will ever be enough. Because you have done the unforgiveable knowingly., If you wish to learn how to use power for good, then I would recommend Aquinas’s De Regno, Vincent of Beauvais’s The Education of Noble Children, Cicero’s De Officiis, Seneca’s De Clementia, and the King’s Mirror by anonymous. There are many more on the observation of power and its use in business, but these work. And you don’t need to be underhanded in order to do so. The best businessman is the one who can keep his soul intact, and thinks of the good of others. Not himself.