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Moved from the 1st Law Of Power thread now I can create new threads again.
Law 2 – Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
“To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows when to strike.” Diane de Poitiers, 1499-1566, Mistress of Henri 2nd of France
Transgression Of The Law
In the mid-9th century AD, a young man named Michael 2nd assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire. His mother had been banished to a nunnery and her lover had been murdered as Michael’s uncle Bardas had headed a conspiracy to put Michael on the throne. Michael was a young and inexperienced ruler, surrounded by murderers and backstabbers, and in this hard time he needed someone he could trust to be his councillor, so he chose his best friend Basilius. Basilius had no experience of governance but he had proven his love and gratitude to Michael time and time again.
Although he was a peasant Basilius had been lavished with gifts and favours by Michael, who had promoted him to the head of the royal stables, and he was sent to the finest school in Byzantium where he became a cultured and sophisticated courtier. Now he was emperor Michael, in need of someone loyal and trustworthy, naturally chose Basilius as his right hand man, ignoring the advice of others who recommended his much more experienced uncle Bardas.
Basilius trained well for the job and was soon advising Michael on all matters of state. The only problem he had was that he never had enough money, as the splendour of court life made him greedy. Michael tripled his salary, ennobled him, and even married him off to his own mistress, as keeping such a trusted friend and adviser was worth any price.
More trouble was on the horizon however. Bardas was now head of the army and Basilius convinced Michael that the man was hopelessly ambitious. In the meantime Bardas, having conspired to put his nephew on the throne, decided that he could conspire again and get rid of Michael and assume the throne himself. Basilius got wind of the plot however so before he got the chance Basilius had convinced Michael to have his uncle murdered, which he did during a horse race. Now that Bardas was out of the way, Basilius persuaded Michael to appoint him as head of the army.
In the next few years Basilius’ power grew and grew but then Michael, in financial trouble, asked him to repay some of the money he had given him. To Michael’s shock Basilius refused, and the realisation suddenly hit him that his former stable boy had more money, more allies, and more power than the emperor himself.
A few weeks later Michael awoke and found his bed surrounded by soldiers, and Basilius watched as they stabbed Michael to death. After proclaiming himself as emperor, Basilius rode through the streets of Byzantium, brandishing the head of his former friend Michael at the end of a long pike.
Interpretation
Michael staked his future on the sense of gratitude that he though Basilius must feel for him. Surely Basilius would serve him best as he owed Michael his education, his wealthy, and his position in society. Once in power Basilius was given everything he wanted by Michael, strengthening the bonds between the two men. It was only on that fateful day when Michael asked for some money back that he realized his deadly mistake.
Michael had created a monster. He had allowed a man to see power up close, and a man who wanted more power at that. Basilius asked for anything he wanted and got it, and afterwards forgot the favours he had received and imagined that he had gotten everything he had on merit.
When Michael realized what was happening he could have saved himself, but his friendship and love blinded him to his interests. He didn’t believe such a good friend could betray him, and he continued to believe it right up until his head ended up on a pike.
“Lord protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” Voltaire, 1694-1778.
Observance Of The Law
After the fall of the Han dynasty in AD222 Chinese history followed the same pattern of violent and bloody coups, one after the other. Army personnel would kill a weak emperor and replace him with a general who would kill his fellow generals to ensure his own survival. A few years later the pattern would come full circle – a new general would rise up and kill the emperor, his sons, and his fellow generals, meaning that to be the emperor of China was the most lonely and least powerful position you could hold in the realm.
In AD959 General Chao K’uang-yin became emperor Sung, knowing that in a year or two he would be murdered. How could he break the pattern? Soon after he became emperor he ordered a banquet to celebrate the new dynasty, and invited the most powerful commanders in the army to the feast. After they had drunk much wine he dismissed everyone except the generals, who now thought that he would murder them in one fell swoop. Instead he addressed them: “The whole day is spent in fear, and I am unhappy at both this table and in my bed. For which one of you does not dream of ascending the throne? I do not doubt your allegiance, but if by some chance your subordinates, seeking wealth and position, were to force the emperor’s yellow robe upon you in turn, how could you refuse it?”
Drunk and fearing for their lives, the generals proclaimed their innocence and loyalty, but Sung had other ideas. “The best way to pass one’s days is in peaceful enjoyment of riches and honour. If you are willing to give up your commands, I am ready to provide you with fine estates and beautiful dwellings where you make take pleasure with singers and girls as your companions.”
The amazed generals realized that instead of a life of anxiety and struggle Sung was offering them riches and security. The next day, all of the generals tendered their resignations, and they retired as nobles to the estates that Sung bestowed on them.
In one fell swoop, Sung turned a pack of “friendly” comrades, who would likely have betrayed him, into a group of docile lambs, far from the reaches of power. Over the next few years Sung continued his campaign to secure his rule. In AD 971 King Liu of the Southern Han dynasty finally surrendered to him after years of rebellion.
To Liu’s astonishment, Sung game him a rank in the imperial court and invited him to his palace to seal their new found friendship with a glass of wine. Liu feared it contained poison, so Sung took the glass from him and drunk the whole lot himself. There was no poison, and from then on Liu became Sung’s most trusted friend.
At that time China had splintered into many smaller kingdoms. When Chi’en Shu, the king of one of these kingdoms, was defeated, Sung;s ministers advised the emperor to lock this rebel up, but instead of locking him up Sung honoured him and gave him a package, telling the former king to open it when he was halfway home.
Halfway home Chi’en Shu opened the package and found that it contained all the papers documenting his conspiracy. He realized that Sung knew of his murderous plans, but had spared him nonetheless. This generosity won him over, and he became one of Sung’s most loyal men.
Interpretation
A Chinese proverb compares friends to the jaws and teeth of a dangerous animal: If you are not careful you will find them chewing you up. Emperor Sung knew the jaws he was passing between when he assumed the throne: His “friends” in the army would chew him up like meat, and if he somehow survived his “friends” in the government would have him for supper.
Emperor Sung would have no truck with “friends” – he bribed his fellow generals with splendid estates to keep them away. This was far better than killing them, which would only have led to other generals seeking vengeance. Instead of relying on his friends, Sung used his enemies, one after the other, transforming them into reliable subjects. While a friend expects more and more favours, and seeths with jealousy, these former enemies expected nothing and got everything.
A man spared death is a grateful man indeed, and will go to the ends of the earth for the man who pardoned him. In time, these former enemies became Sung’s most trusted friends. Sung was finally able to break the pattern of coups, violence, and civil war, and the Sung dynasty ruled China for more than 300 years.
“Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure.” Tacitus, AD55-120.
Keys To Power
It is natural to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften that harshness, so why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand? The problem is that you don’t know your friends as well as you imagine you do, as friend often agree on things to avoid an argument.
They cover up unpleasant qualities so as not to offend one another, laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes, and since honesty rarely strengthens a friendship you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that you look great in an outfit, even when behind your back they are laughing at you for your poor taste.
When you decide to hire a friend, you will gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden from you. A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship has faded. Try and revive it with favours and gifts, and all you will receive is less gratitude.
All working situations require distanced between people. You are trying to work, not make friends, and friendliness (real or false) only obscures that fact. The key to power is to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.
On the other hand your enemies are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. As Abraham Lincoln said, you destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Without enemies around us we grow lazy, as an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits and keeps us focused and alert.
In 1937 Mao Tse-tung saw conflict as key in his approach to power as Japan invaded China and interrupted the civil war between Mao’s communists and their enemy, the Nationalists. Some in the Communist Party advised leaving the Nationalists to fight alone against the Japanese, but Mao disagreed. He saw that the Japanese could not defeat and then occupy a huge country like China for long, and if they kept out of the fight they would have grown rusty and been ill prepared to re-start their struggle with the Nationalists.
Fighting a formidable foe like Japan was the perfect training for Mao’s inexperienced army, and it worked. By the time the Japanese retreated the Communists had gained the fighting experience that helped then to defeat the Nationalists. Years later a Japanese visitor tried to apologize to Mao for his comrade’s invasion into China. Mao interrupted and said “Should I not thank you instead?” Without a worthy opponent, Mao explained, a man or group cannot grow stronger.
Mao’s strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat, as Mao knew the Japanese would be defeated in time. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. Mao actually encouraged China’s disagreements with the Soviet Union and the United States, as he believed that without clear-cut enemies his people would lose any sense of what Chinese Communism meant. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.
You must never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you – you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.
Image: The Jaws Of Ingratitude
Knowing what would happen if you put your finger in the mouth of a lion, you would stay clear of it. With friends you will have no such caution, and if you hire them, they will eat you alive with ingratitude.
Authority
Know how to use your enemies for your own profit. You must learn to grab a sword not by its blade, which would cut you, but by its handle, which allows you to defend yourself. The wise man profits more from his enemies, than a fool from his friends. (Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658)
Reversal
Although it is best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. A man of power, for example, often has dirty work that has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it is generally preferable to have other people do it for him; friends often do this best, since their affection for him makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat.
This “fall of the favourite” was a trick often used by kings and sovereigns: They would let their closest friend at court take the fall for a mistake, since the public would not believe that they would deliberately sacrifice a friend for such a purpose. Of course, after you use this tactic you have lost you friend forever, so it is best to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.
The final problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both the partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend can often be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbances such as envy and ingratitude.
Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.
My View
I find this a very strange argument to make. The bloke must have had some seriously bad friends who stabbed him in the back to come up with this and to go as far to say that your closest friends are really your worst enemies. I would never dream of selling out my friends, whether it’s to further my own ambitions or not.
It’s interesting to note that the examples he uses are centuries old, apart from the Mao one and he isn’t selling his personal friends out, as back then life was a lot more volatile and people were right to be wary of their friends, especially kings and people in possession of great power, as they often had people sucking up to them with the sole intention of ousting or killing them and taking power for themselves.
To suggest that you use this tactic in this day and age is just clearly morally wrong, and if you do go down this route it won’t be long before people hear of what you’ve been doing and you won’t have any friends left, only enemies.
Law 2 – Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
“To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows when to strike.” Diane de Poitiers, 1499-1566, Mistress of Henri 2nd of France
Transgression Of The Law
In the mid-9th century AD, a young man named Michael 2nd assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire. His mother had been banished to a nunnery and her lover had been murdered as Michael’s uncle Bardas had headed a conspiracy to put Michael on the throne. Michael was a young and inexperienced ruler, surrounded by murderers and backstabbers, and in this hard time he needed someone he could trust to be his councillor, so he chose his best friend Basilius. Basilius had no experience of governance but he had proven his love and gratitude to Michael time and time again.
Although he was a peasant Basilius had been lavished with gifts and favours by Michael, who had promoted him to the head of the royal stables, and he was sent to the finest school in Byzantium where he became a cultured and sophisticated courtier. Now he was emperor Michael, in need of someone loyal and trustworthy, naturally chose Basilius as his right hand man, ignoring the advice of others who recommended his much more experienced uncle Bardas.
Basilius trained well for the job and was soon advising Michael on all matters of state. The only problem he had was that he never had enough money, as the splendour of court life made him greedy. Michael tripled his salary, ennobled him, and even married him off to his own mistress, as keeping such a trusted friend and adviser was worth any price.
More trouble was on the horizon however. Bardas was now head of the army and Basilius convinced Michael that the man was hopelessly ambitious. In the meantime Bardas, having conspired to put his nephew on the throne, decided that he could conspire again and get rid of Michael and assume the throne himself. Basilius got wind of the plot however so before he got the chance Basilius had convinced Michael to have his uncle murdered, which he did during a horse race. Now that Bardas was out of the way, Basilius persuaded Michael to appoint him as head of the army.
In the next few years Basilius’ power grew and grew but then Michael, in financial trouble, asked him to repay some of the money he had given him. To Michael’s shock Basilius refused, and the realisation suddenly hit him that his former stable boy had more money, more allies, and more power than the emperor himself.
A few weeks later Michael awoke and found his bed surrounded by soldiers, and Basilius watched as they stabbed Michael to death. After proclaiming himself as emperor, Basilius rode through the streets of Byzantium, brandishing the head of his former friend Michael at the end of a long pike.
Interpretation
Michael staked his future on the sense of gratitude that he though Basilius must feel for him. Surely Basilius would serve him best as he owed Michael his education, his wealthy, and his position in society. Once in power Basilius was given everything he wanted by Michael, strengthening the bonds between the two men. It was only on that fateful day when Michael asked for some money back that he realized his deadly mistake.
Michael had created a monster. He had allowed a man to see power up close, and a man who wanted more power at that. Basilius asked for anything he wanted and got it, and afterwards forgot the favours he had received and imagined that he had gotten everything he had on merit.
When Michael realized what was happening he could have saved himself, but his friendship and love blinded him to his interests. He didn’t believe such a good friend could betray him, and he continued to believe it right up until his head ended up on a pike.
“Lord protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” Voltaire, 1694-1778.
Observance Of The Law
After the fall of the Han dynasty in AD222 Chinese history followed the same pattern of violent and bloody coups, one after the other. Army personnel would kill a weak emperor and replace him with a general who would kill his fellow generals to ensure his own survival. A few years later the pattern would come full circle – a new general would rise up and kill the emperor, his sons, and his fellow generals, meaning that to be the emperor of China was the most lonely and least powerful position you could hold in the realm.
In AD959 General Chao K’uang-yin became emperor Sung, knowing that in a year or two he would be murdered. How could he break the pattern? Soon after he became emperor he ordered a banquet to celebrate the new dynasty, and invited the most powerful commanders in the army to the feast. After they had drunk much wine he dismissed everyone except the generals, who now thought that he would murder them in one fell swoop. Instead he addressed them: “The whole day is spent in fear, and I am unhappy at both this table and in my bed. For which one of you does not dream of ascending the throne? I do not doubt your allegiance, but if by some chance your subordinates, seeking wealth and position, were to force the emperor’s yellow robe upon you in turn, how could you refuse it?”
Drunk and fearing for their lives, the generals proclaimed their innocence and loyalty, but Sung had other ideas. “The best way to pass one’s days is in peaceful enjoyment of riches and honour. If you are willing to give up your commands, I am ready to provide you with fine estates and beautiful dwellings where you make take pleasure with singers and girls as your companions.”
The amazed generals realized that instead of a life of anxiety and struggle Sung was offering them riches and security. The next day, all of the generals tendered their resignations, and they retired as nobles to the estates that Sung bestowed on them.
In one fell swoop, Sung turned a pack of “friendly” comrades, who would likely have betrayed him, into a group of docile lambs, far from the reaches of power. Over the next few years Sung continued his campaign to secure his rule. In AD 971 King Liu of the Southern Han dynasty finally surrendered to him after years of rebellion.
To Liu’s astonishment, Sung game him a rank in the imperial court and invited him to his palace to seal their new found friendship with a glass of wine. Liu feared it contained poison, so Sung took the glass from him and drunk the whole lot himself. There was no poison, and from then on Liu became Sung’s most trusted friend.
At that time China had splintered into many smaller kingdoms. When Chi’en Shu, the king of one of these kingdoms, was defeated, Sung;s ministers advised the emperor to lock this rebel up, but instead of locking him up Sung honoured him and gave him a package, telling the former king to open it when he was halfway home.
Halfway home Chi’en Shu opened the package and found that it contained all the papers documenting his conspiracy. He realized that Sung knew of his murderous plans, but had spared him nonetheless. This generosity won him over, and he became one of Sung’s most loyal men.
Interpretation
A Chinese proverb compares friends to the jaws and teeth of a dangerous animal: If you are not careful you will find them chewing you up. Emperor Sung knew the jaws he was passing between when he assumed the throne: His “friends” in the army would chew him up like meat, and if he somehow survived his “friends” in the government would have him for supper.
Emperor Sung would have no truck with “friends” – he bribed his fellow generals with splendid estates to keep them away. This was far better than killing them, which would only have led to other generals seeking vengeance. Instead of relying on his friends, Sung used his enemies, one after the other, transforming them into reliable subjects. While a friend expects more and more favours, and seeths with jealousy, these former enemies expected nothing and got everything.
A man spared death is a grateful man indeed, and will go to the ends of the earth for the man who pardoned him. In time, these former enemies became Sung’s most trusted friends. Sung was finally able to break the pattern of coups, violence, and civil war, and the Sung dynasty ruled China for more than 300 years.
“Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure.” Tacitus, AD55-120.
Keys To Power
It is natural to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften that harshness, so why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand? The problem is that you don’t know your friends as well as you imagine you do, as friend often agree on things to avoid an argument.
They cover up unpleasant qualities so as not to offend one another, laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes, and since honesty rarely strengthens a friendship you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that you look great in an outfit, even when behind your back they are laughing at you for your poor taste.
When you decide to hire a friend, you will gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden from you. A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship has faded. Try and revive it with favours and gifts, and all you will receive is less gratitude.
All working situations require distanced between people. You are trying to work, not make friends, and friendliness (real or false) only obscures that fact. The key to power is to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.
On the other hand your enemies are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. As Abraham Lincoln said, you destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Without enemies around us we grow lazy, as an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits and keeps us focused and alert.
In 1937 Mao Tse-tung saw conflict as key in his approach to power as Japan invaded China and interrupted the civil war between Mao’s communists and their enemy, the Nationalists. Some in the Communist Party advised leaving the Nationalists to fight alone against the Japanese, but Mao disagreed. He saw that the Japanese could not defeat and then occupy a huge country like China for long, and if they kept out of the fight they would have grown rusty and been ill prepared to re-start their struggle with the Nationalists.
Fighting a formidable foe like Japan was the perfect training for Mao’s inexperienced army, and it worked. By the time the Japanese retreated the Communists had gained the fighting experience that helped then to defeat the Nationalists. Years later a Japanese visitor tried to apologize to Mao for his comrade’s invasion into China. Mao interrupted and said “Should I not thank you instead?” Without a worthy opponent, Mao explained, a man or group cannot grow stronger.
Mao’s strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat, as Mao knew the Japanese would be defeated in time. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. Mao actually encouraged China’s disagreements with the Soviet Union and the United States, as he believed that without clear-cut enemies his people would lose any sense of what Chinese Communism meant. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.
You must never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you – you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.
Image: The Jaws Of Ingratitude
Knowing what would happen if you put your finger in the mouth of a lion, you would stay clear of it. With friends you will have no such caution, and if you hire them, they will eat you alive with ingratitude.
Authority
Know how to use your enemies for your own profit. You must learn to grab a sword not by its blade, which would cut you, but by its handle, which allows you to defend yourself. The wise man profits more from his enemies, than a fool from his friends. (Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658)
Reversal
Although it is best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. A man of power, for example, often has dirty work that has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it is generally preferable to have other people do it for him; friends often do this best, since their affection for him makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat.
This “fall of the favourite” was a trick often used by kings and sovereigns: They would let their closest friend at court take the fall for a mistake, since the public would not believe that they would deliberately sacrifice a friend for such a purpose. Of course, after you use this tactic you have lost you friend forever, so it is best to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.
The final problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both the partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend can often be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbances such as envy and ingratitude.
Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.
My View
I find this a very strange argument to make. The bloke must have had some seriously bad friends who stabbed him in the back to come up with this and to go as far to say that your closest friends are really your worst enemies. I would never dream of selling out my friends, whether it’s to further my own ambitions or not.
It’s interesting to note that the examples he uses are centuries old, apart from the Mao one and he isn’t selling his personal friends out, as back then life was a lot more volatile and people were right to be wary of their friends, especially kings and people in possession of great power, as they often had people sucking up to them with the sole intention of ousting or killing them and taking power for themselves.
To suggest that you use this tactic in this day and age is just clearly morally wrong, and if you do go down this route it won’t be long before people hear of what you’ve been doing and you won’t have any friends left, only enemies.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Moved from the 1st Law Of Power thread now I can create new threads again.
Law 2 – Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
“To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows when to strike.” Diane de Poitiers, 1499-1566, Mistress of Henri 2nd of France
Transgression Of The Law
In the mid-9th century AD, a young man named Michael 2nd assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire. His mother had been banished to a nunnery and her lover had been murdered as Michael’s uncle Bardas had headed a conspiracy to put Michael on the throne. Michael was a young and inexperienced ruler, surrounded by murderers and backstabbers, and in this hard time he needed someone he could trust to be his councillor, so he chose his best friend Basilius. Basilius had no experience of governance but he had proven his love and gratitude to Michael time and time again.
Although he was a peasant Basilius had been lavished with gifts and favours by Michael, who had promoted him to the head of the royal stables, and he was sent to the finest school in Byzantium where he became a cultured and sophisticated courtier. Now he was emperor Michael, in need of someone loyal and trustworthy, naturally chose Basilius as his right hand man, ignoring the advice of others who recommended his much more experienced uncle Bardas.
Basilius trained well for the job and was soon advising Michael on all matters of state. The only problem he had was that he never had enough money, as the splendour of court life made him greedy. Michael tripled his salary, ennobled him, and even married him off to his own mistress, as keeping such a trusted friend and adviser was worth any price.
More trouble was on the horizon however. Bardas was now head of the army and Basilius convinced Michael that the man was hopelessly ambitious. In the meantime Bardas, having conspired to put his nephew on the throne, decided that he could conspire again and get rid of Michael and assume the throne himself. Basilius got wind of the plot however so before he got the chance Basilius had convinced Michael to have his uncle murdered, which he did during a horse race. Now that Bardas was out of the way, Basilius persuaded Michael to appoint him as head of the army.
In the next few years Basilius’ power grew and grew but then Michael, in financial trouble, asked him to repay some of the money he had given him. To Michael’s shock Basilius refused, and the realisation suddenly hit him that his former stable boy had more money, more allies, and more power than the emperor himself.
A few weeks later Michael awoke and found his bed surrounded by soldiers, and Basilius watched as they stabbed Michael to death. After proclaiming himself as emperor, Basilius rode through the streets of Byzantium, brandishing the head of his former friend Michael at the end of a long pike.
Interpretation
Michael staked his future on the sense of gratitude that he though Basilius must feel for him. Surely Basilius would serve him best as he owed Michael his education, his wealthy, and his position in society. Once in power Basilius was given everything he wanted by Michael, strengthening the bonds between the two men. It was only on that fateful day when Michael asked for some money back that he realized his deadly mistake.
Michael had created a monster. He had allowed a man to see power up close, and a man who wanted more power at that. Basilius asked for anything he wanted and got it, and afterwards forgot the favours he had received and imagined that he had gotten everything he had on merit.
When Michael realized what was happening he could have saved himself, but his friendship and love blinded him to his interests. He didn’t believe such a good friend could betray him, and he continued to believe it right up until his head ended up on a pike.
“Lord protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” Voltaire, 1694-1778.
Observance Of The Law
After the fall of the Han dynasty in AD222 Chinese history followed the same pattern of violent and bloody coups, one after the other. Army personnel would kill a weak emperor and replace him with a general who would kill his fellow generals to ensure his own survival. A few years later the pattern would come full circle – a new general would rise up and kill the emperor, his sons, and his fellow generals, meaning that to be the emperor of China was the most lonely and least powerful position you could hold in the realm.
In AD959 General Chao K’uang-yin became emperor Sung, knowing that in a year or two he would be murdered. How could he break the pattern? Soon after he became emperor he ordered a banquet to celebrate the new dynasty, and invited the most powerful commanders in the army to the feast. After they had drunk much wine he dismissed everyone except the generals, who now thought that he would murder them in one fell swoop. Instead he addressed them: “The whole day is spent in fear, and I am unhappy at both this table and in my bed. For which one of you does not dream of ascending the throne? I do not doubt your allegiance, but if by some chance your subordinates, seeking wealth and position, were to force the emperor’s yellow robe upon you in turn, how could you refuse it?”
Drunk and fearing for their lives, the generals proclaimed their innocence and loyalty, but Sung had other ideas. “The best way to pass one’s days is in peaceful enjoyment of riches and honour. If you are willing to give up your commands, I am ready to provide you with fine estates and beautiful dwellings where you make take pleasure with singers and girls as your companions.”
The amazed generals realized that instead of a life of anxiety and struggle Sung was offering them riches and security. The next day, all of the generals tendered their resignations, and they retired as nobles to the estates that Sung bestowed on them.
In one fell swoop, Sung turned a pack of “friendly” comrades, who would likely have betrayed him, into a group of docile lambs, far from the reaches of power. Over the next few years Sung continued his campaign to secure his rule. In AD 971 King Liu of the Southern Han dynasty finally surrendered to him after years of rebellion.
To Liu’s astonishment, Sung game him a rank in the imperial court and invited him to his palace to seal their new found friendship with a glass of wine. Liu feared it contained poison, so Sung took the glass from him and drunk the whole lot himself. There was no poison, and from then on Liu became Sung’s most trusted friend.
At that time China had splintered into many smaller kingdoms. When Chi’en Shu, the king of one of these kingdoms, was defeated, Sung;s ministers advised the emperor to lock this rebel up, but instead of locking him up Sung honoured him and gave him a package, telling the former king to open it when he was halfway home.
Halfway home Chi’en Shu opened the package and found that it contained all the papers documenting his conspiracy. He realized that Sung knew of his murderous plans, but had spared him nonetheless. This generosity won him over, and he became one of Sung’s most loyal men.
Interpretation
A Chinese proverb compares friends to the jaws and teeth of a dangerous animal: If you are not careful you will find them chewing you up. Emperor Sung knew the jaws he was passing between when he assumed the throne: His “friends” in the army would chew him up like meat, and if he somehow survived his “friends” in the government would have him for supper.
Emperor Sung would have no truck with “friends” – he bribed his fellow generals with splendid estates to keep them away. This was far better than killing them, which would only have led to other generals seeking vengeance. Instead of relying on his friends, Sung used his enemies, one after the other, transforming them into reliable subjects. While a friend expects more and more favours, and seeths with jealousy, these former enemies expected nothing and got everything.
A man spared death is a grateful man indeed, and will go to the ends of the earth for the man who pardoned him. In time, these former enemies became Sung’s most trusted friends. Sung was finally able to break the pattern of coups, violence, and civil war, and the Sung dynasty ruled China for more than 300 years.
“Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure.” Tacitus, AD55-120.
Keys To Power
It is natural to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften that harshness, so why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand? The problem is that you don’t know your friends as well as you imagine you do, as friend often agree on things to avoid an argument.
They cover up unpleasant qualities so as not to offend one another, laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes, and since honesty rarely strengthens a friendship you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that you look great in an outfit, even when behind your back they are laughing at you for your poor taste.
When you decide to hire a friend, you will gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden from you. A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship has faded. Try and revive it with favours and gifts, and all you will receive is less gratitude.
All working situations require distanced between people. You are trying to work, not make friends, and friendliness (real or false) only obscures that fact. The key to power is to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.
On the other hand your enemies are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. As Abraham Lincoln said, you destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Without enemies around us we grow lazy, as an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits and keeps us focused and alert.
In 1937 Mao Tse-tung saw conflict as key in his approach to power as Japan invaded China and interrupted the civil war between Mao’s communists and their enemy, the Nationalists. Some in the Communist Party advised leaving the Nationalists to fight alone against the Japanese, but Mao disagreed. He saw that the Japanese could not defeat and then occupy a huge country like China for long, and if they kept out of the fight they would have grown rusty and been ill prepared to re-start their struggle with the Nationalists.
Fighting a formidable foe like Japan was the perfect training for Mao’s inexperienced army, and it worked. By the time the Japanese retreated the Communists had gained the fighting experience that helped then to defeat the Nationalists. Years later a Japanese visitor tried to apologize to Mao for his comrade’s invasion into China. Mao interrupted and said “Should I not thank you instead?” Without a worthy opponent, Mao explained, a man or group cannot grow stronger.
Mao’s strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat, as Mao knew the Japanese would be defeated in time. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. Mao actually encouraged China’s disagreements with the Soviet Union and the United States, as he believed that without clear-cut enemies his people would lose any sense of what Chinese Communism meant. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.
You must never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you – you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.
Image: The Jaws Of Ingratitude
Knowing what would happen if you put your finger in the mouth of a lion, you would stay clear of it. With friends you will have no such caution, and if you hire them, they will eat you alive with ingratitude.
Authority
Know how to use your enemies for your own profit. You must learn to grab a sword not by its blade, which would cut you, but by its handle, which allows you to defend yourself. The wise man profits more from his enemies, than a fool from his friends. (Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658)
Reversal
Although it is best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. A man of power, for example, often has dirty work that has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it is generally preferable to have other people do it for him; friends often do this best, since their affection for him makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat.
This “fall of the favourite” was a trick often used by kings and sovereigns: They would let their closest friend at court take the fall for a mistake, since the public would not believe that they would deliberately sacrifice a friend for such a purpose. Of course, after you use this tactic you have lost you friend forever, so it is best to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.
The final problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both the partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend can often be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbances such as envy and ingratitude.
Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.
My View
I find this a very strange argument to make. The bloke must have had some seriously bad friends who stabbed him in the back to come up with this and to go as far to say that your closest friends are really your worst enemies. I would never dream of selling out my friends, whether it’s to further my own ambitions or not.
It’s interesting to note that the examples he uses are centuries old, apart from the Mao one and he isn’t selling his personal friends out, as back then life was a lot more volatile and people were right to be wary of their friends, especially kings and people in possession of great power, as they often had people sucking up to them with the sole intention of ousting or killing them and taking power for themselves.
To suggest that you use this tactic in this day and age is just clearly morally wrong, and if you do go down this route it won’t be long before people hear of what you’ve been doing and you won’t have any friends left, only enemies.
Law 2 – Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies
Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
“To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows when to strike.” Diane de Poitiers, 1499-1566, Mistress of Henri 2nd of France
Transgression Of The Law
In the mid-9th century AD, a young man named Michael 2nd assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire. His mother had been banished to a nunnery and her lover had been murdered as Michael’s uncle Bardas had headed a conspiracy to put Michael on the throne. Michael was a young and inexperienced ruler, surrounded by murderers and backstabbers, and in this hard time he needed someone he could trust to be his councillor, so he chose his best friend Basilius. Basilius had no experience of governance but he had proven his love and gratitude to Michael time and time again.
Although he was a peasant Basilius had been lavished with gifts and favours by Michael, who had promoted him to the head of the royal stables, and he was sent to the finest school in Byzantium where he became a cultured and sophisticated courtier. Now he was emperor Michael, in need of someone loyal and trustworthy, naturally chose Basilius as his right hand man, ignoring the advice of others who recommended his much more experienced uncle Bardas.
Basilius trained well for the job and was soon advising Michael on all matters of state. The only problem he had was that he never had enough money, as the splendour of court life made him greedy. Michael tripled his salary, ennobled him, and even married him off to his own mistress, as keeping such a trusted friend and adviser was worth any price.
More trouble was on the horizon however. Bardas was now head of the army and Basilius convinced Michael that the man was hopelessly ambitious. In the meantime Bardas, having conspired to put his nephew on the throne, decided that he could conspire again and get rid of Michael and assume the throne himself. Basilius got wind of the plot however so before he got the chance Basilius had convinced Michael to have his uncle murdered, which he did during a horse race. Now that Bardas was out of the way, Basilius persuaded Michael to appoint him as head of the army.
In the next few years Basilius’ power grew and grew but then Michael, in financial trouble, asked him to repay some of the money he had given him. To Michael’s shock Basilius refused, and the realisation suddenly hit him that his former stable boy had more money, more allies, and more power than the emperor himself.
A few weeks later Michael awoke and found his bed surrounded by soldiers, and Basilius watched as they stabbed Michael to death. After proclaiming himself as emperor, Basilius rode through the streets of Byzantium, brandishing the head of his former friend Michael at the end of a long pike.
Interpretation
Michael staked his future on the sense of gratitude that he though Basilius must feel for him. Surely Basilius would serve him best as he owed Michael his education, his wealthy, and his position in society. Once in power Basilius was given everything he wanted by Michael, strengthening the bonds between the two men. It was only on that fateful day when Michael asked for some money back that he realized his deadly mistake.
Michael had created a monster. He had allowed a man to see power up close, and a man who wanted more power at that. Basilius asked for anything he wanted and got it, and afterwards forgot the favours he had received and imagined that he had gotten everything he had on merit.
When Michael realized what was happening he could have saved himself, but his friendship and love blinded him to his interests. He didn’t believe such a good friend could betray him, and he continued to believe it right up until his head ended up on a pike.
“Lord protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” Voltaire, 1694-1778.
Observance Of The Law
After the fall of the Han dynasty in AD222 Chinese history followed the same pattern of violent and bloody coups, one after the other. Army personnel would kill a weak emperor and replace him with a general who would kill his fellow generals to ensure his own survival. A few years later the pattern would come full circle – a new general would rise up and kill the emperor, his sons, and his fellow generals, meaning that to be the emperor of China was the most lonely and least powerful position you could hold in the realm.
In AD959 General Chao K’uang-yin became emperor Sung, knowing that in a year or two he would be murdered. How could he break the pattern? Soon after he became emperor he ordered a banquet to celebrate the new dynasty, and invited the most powerful commanders in the army to the feast. After they had drunk much wine he dismissed everyone except the generals, who now thought that he would murder them in one fell swoop. Instead he addressed them: “The whole day is spent in fear, and I am unhappy at both this table and in my bed. For which one of you does not dream of ascending the throne? I do not doubt your allegiance, but if by some chance your subordinates, seeking wealth and position, were to force the emperor’s yellow robe upon you in turn, how could you refuse it?”
Drunk and fearing for their lives, the generals proclaimed their innocence and loyalty, but Sung had other ideas. “The best way to pass one’s days is in peaceful enjoyment of riches and honour. If you are willing to give up your commands, I am ready to provide you with fine estates and beautiful dwellings where you make take pleasure with singers and girls as your companions.”
The amazed generals realized that instead of a life of anxiety and struggle Sung was offering them riches and security. The next day, all of the generals tendered their resignations, and they retired as nobles to the estates that Sung bestowed on them.
In one fell swoop, Sung turned a pack of “friendly” comrades, who would likely have betrayed him, into a group of docile lambs, far from the reaches of power. Over the next few years Sung continued his campaign to secure his rule. In AD 971 King Liu of the Southern Han dynasty finally surrendered to him after years of rebellion.
To Liu’s astonishment, Sung game him a rank in the imperial court and invited him to his palace to seal their new found friendship with a glass of wine. Liu feared it contained poison, so Sung took the glass from him and drunk the whole lot himself. There was no poison, and from then on Liu became Sung’s most trusted friend.
At that time China had splintered into many smaller kingdoms. When Chi’en Shu, the king of one of these kingdoms, was defeated, Sung;s ministers advised the emperor to lock this rebel up, but instead of locking him up Sung honoured him and gave him a package, telling the former king to open it when he was halfway home.
Halfway home Chi’en Shu opened the package and found that it contained all the papers documenting his conspiracy. He realized that Sung knew of his murderous plans, but had spared him nonetheless. This generosity won him over, and he became one of Sung’s most loyal men.
Interpretation
A Chinese proverb compares friends to the jaws and teeth of a dangerous animal: If you are not careful you will find them chewing you up. Emperor Sung knew the jaws he was passing between when he assumed the throne: His “friends” in the army would chew him up like meat, and if he somehow survived his “friends” in the government would have him for supper.
Emperor Sung would have no truck with “friends” – he bribed his fellow generals with splendid estates to keep them away. This was far better than killing them, which would only have led to other generals seeking vengeance. Instead of relying on his friends, Sung used his enemies, one after the other, transforming them into reliable subjects. While a friend expects more and more favours, and seeths with jealousy, these former enemies expected nothing and got everything.
A man spared death is a grateful man indeed, and will go to the ends of the earth for the man who pardoned him. In time, these former enemies became Sung’s most trusted friends. Sung was finally able to break the pattern of coups, violence, and civil war, and the Sung dynasty ruled China for more than 300 years.
“Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure.” Tacitus, AD55-120.
Keys To Power
It is natural to employ your friends when you find yourself in times of need. The world is a harsh place, and your friends soften that harshness, so why depend on a stranger when you have a friend at hand? The problem is that you don’t know your friends as well as you imagine you do, as friend often agree on things to avoid an argument.
They cover up unpleasant qualities so as not to offend one another, laugh extra hard at each other’s jokes, and since honesty rarely strengthens a friendship you may never know how a friend truly feels. Friends will say that you look great in an outfit, even when behind your back they are laughing at you for your poor taste.
When you decide to hire a friend, you will gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden from you. A little more honesty, flashes of resentment and envy here and there, and before you know it your friendship has faded. Try and revive it with favours and gifts, and all you will receive is less gratitude.
All working situations require distanced between people. You are trying to work, not make friends, and friendliness (real or false) only obscures that fact. The key to power is to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.
On the other hand your enemies are an untapped gold mine that you must learn to exploit. As Abraham Lincoln said, you destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him. Without enemies around us we grow lazy, as an enemy at our heels sharpens our wits and keeps us focused and alert.
In 1937 Mao Tse-tung saw conflict as key in his approach to power as Japan invaded China and interrupted the civil war between Mao’s communists and their enemy, the Nationalists. Some in the Communist Party advised leaving the Nationalists to fight alone against the Japanese, but Mao disagreed. He saw that the Japanese could not defeat and then occupy a huge country like China for long, and if they kept out of the fight they would have grown rusty and been ill prepared to re-start their struggle with the Nationalists.
Fighting a formidable foe like Japan was the perfect training for Mao’s inexperienced army, and it worked. By the time the Japanese retreated the Communists had gained the fighting experience that helped then to defeat the Nationalists. Years later a Japanese visitor tried to apologize to Mao for his comrade’s invasion into China. Mao interrupted and said “Should I not thank you instead?” Without a worthy opponent, Mao explained, a man or group cannot grow stronger.
Mao’s strategy of constant conflict has several key components. First, be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat, as Mao knew the Japanese would be defeated in time. Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy. Third, use such enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil. Mao actually encouraged China’s disagreements with the Soviet Union and the United States, as he believed that without clear-cut enemies his people would lose any sense of what Chinese Communism meant. A sharply defined enemy is a far stronger argument for your side than all the words you could possibly put together.
You must never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you – you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie. The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty.
Image: The Jaws Of Ingratitude
Knowing what would happen if you put your finger in the mouth of a lion, you would stay clear of it. With friends you will have no such caution, and if you hire them, they will eat you alive with ingratitude.
Authority
Know how to use your enemies for your own profit. You must learn to grab a sword not by its blade, which would cut you, but by its handle, which allows you to defend yourself. The wise man profits more from his enemies, than a fool from his friends. (Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658)
Reversal
Although it is best not to mix work with friendship, there are times when a friend can be used to greater effect than an enemy. A man of power, for example, often has dirty work that has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it is generally preferable to have other people do it for him; friends often do this best, since their affection for him makes them willing to take chances. Also, if your plans go awry for some reason, you can use a friend as a convenient scapegoat.
This “fall of the favourite” was a trick often used by kings and sovereigns: They would let their closest friend at court take the fall for a mistake, since the public would not believe that they would deliberately sacrifice a friend for such a purpose. Of course, after you use this tactic you have lost you friend forever, so it is best to reserve the scapegoat role for someone who is close to you but not too close.
The final problem about working with friends is that it confuses the boundaries and distances that working requires. But if both the partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend can often be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbances such as envy and ingratitude.
Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.
My View
I find this a very strange argument to make. The bloke must have had some seriously bad friends who stabbed him in the back to come up with this and to go as far to say that your closest friends are really your worst enemies. I would never dream of selling out my friends, whether it’s to further my own ambitions or not.
It’s interesting to note that the examples he uses are centuries old, apart from the Mao one and he isn’t selling his personal friends out, as back then life was a lot more volatile and people were right to be wary of their friends, especially kings and people in possession of great power, as they often had people sucking up to them with the sole intention of ousting or killing them and taking power for themselves.
To suggest that you use this tactic in this day and age is just clearly morally wrong, and if you do go down this route it won’t be long before people hear of what you’ve been doing and you won’t have any friends left, only enemies.