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Law 4 – Always Say Less Than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Transgression Of The Law
Gnaeus Marcius, also known as Coriolanus, was a great military hero of ancient Rome. In the first half of the 5th century BC he won many important battles, saving the city from disaster time and time again, and because he spent most of his time on the battlefield few Romans knew him personally, making him something of a legendary figure.
In 454BC he decided it was time to exploit his reputation and enter politics, so stood for election for the high rank of consul. Candidates for this position traditionally made a public address at the start of the race, and when Coriolanus made his he began by displaying the dozens of scars he had accumulated from 17 years of warfare on behalf of Rome. Few in the crowd really listened to his speech as they were moved by his scars, proof of his patriotism and valour, and Coriolanus’s election seemed certain.
On polling day however he arrived into the forum escorted by the entire senate and the city’s patricians, and the common people who witnessed this were disturbed by such a show on election day. Coriolanus then spoke again, but this time his speech was aimed the wealthy and powerful citizens who had accompanies him, and his word were arrogant and insolent.
He claimed his victory in the election was certain, boasted of his battlefield exploits, made sour jokes that offended the common people, made numerous accusations against his opponents, and bragged about the riches he would bring to Rome. This time the common people realised that instead of being a flawless hero, he also had a dark, sinister side.
News of his speech quickly spread throughout Rome, and the people turned out in great numbers to make sure he wasn’t elected. Coriolanus lost the election, and then returned to the battlefield, vowing revenge on the common people who had turned on him. Some weeks later a shipment of grain arrived in Rome, and the senate was ready to distribute it to the people for free, but just as they did so Coriolanus appeared and argued that to do this would bring a great deal of harm on the city. After this he went on to condemn democracy itself, and said that the patriarchs should run the city from now on.
When word of this speech reached the people they were furious and demanded that Coriolanus appear before them. When he refused a riot broke out, and the senate immediately distributed the grain to try and appease them, but even though the riot calmed down they still demanded Coriolanus appear before them and apologize. They said if he repented, and in future kept his opinions to himself, he could return to the battlefield as a great warrior leader.
This time he agreed to appear, who listened to him in stony silence. He started slowly and softly, but it didn’t take long for him to become more and more blunt, ending up with him hurling insults at the crowd. Eventually the people had had enough and drowned him out with shouting.
The senate conferred and decided that Coriolanus was a danger to the order of the city and condemned him to death. He was to be taken to the top of Tarpeian Rock and thrown off, much to the delight of the common people. The patricians however managed to intervene and his sentence was commuted to a lifelong banishment from the city of Rome. Even though he was no longer going to be put to death, when the people found out their great military hero would never darken their city again the celebrations in the streets were greater than those that occurred after the defeat of an enemy.
Interpretation
Before his entrance into politics, Coriolanus evoked awe. His accomplishments on the battlefield showed him as a man of great bravery, and as so few of the citizens of Rome knew much about him, all kinds of legends became attached to his name. However the moment he appeared to the people and spoke his mind, all that vanished as he bragged and blustered like a common soldier. This discrepancy between the legend and reality was a huge disappointment to the people, who wanted to believe in him as a hero. The more he said, the less powerful and grand he appeared, and a person who cannot control their words shows that they cannot control themselves and are unworthy of respect.
Had Coriolanus said less, the people wouldn’t have had cause to be offended by him, and would never have known his true feelings. He would have maintained his powerful aura, would have been elected consul, and then accomplished his political goals. The human tongue is hard to master, and if it not tamed will run wild and land you in trouble. Power cannot be achieved by those people who squander their words.
“Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.” (Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519)
Observance Of The Law
In the court of Louis 14th, nobles and ministers would spend days and nights debating the issues of state. After a lengthy period of time, two people would be chosen to represent the different sides and they would go to Louis, explain their sides views, and the king would then decide which side to go with.
Louis would listen in silence, and then when both sides had made their presentation and asked for the king’s opinion, Louis would look at them both and say “I’ll shall see”, and then walk away. The ministers would never hear another word on the subject from the king, they would simply see the result a few weeks later when he would come to a decision and act. He would never bother to consult them on the matter again.
Interpretation
Louis 14th was a man of very few words. His “I shall see” was one of several extremely short phrases that he would apply to all manner of requests. He was not always a man of few words, as a young man he was known for talking at length and delighting in his own eloquence, but his later style was self-imposed as a mask to keep everyone off balance.
No-one knew exactly where they stood, or could predict his reactions, and no-one could try and deceive him by saying what they thought he wanted to hear as no-one knew what he wanted to hear. As they talked on and on to him they revealed more and more about themselves, information he could later use against them to great effect. In the end Louis’s silence kept those around him terrified and under his thumb, and this was one of the main foundations of his power.
“It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them.” (Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679)
Keys To Power
Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are. Your silence will make people feel uncomfortable, as people are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking. When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your intentions or your meaning.
Your short answers and silences will put them on the defensive, and they will jump in, nervously filling the silence will all kinds of comments that will reveal valuable information about them and their weaknesses. They will leave you feeling robbed, and will afterwards ponder your every word. This extra attention to your brief comments will only add to your power.
Saying less than necessary is not only for kings and people in powerful positions. In most areas of your life, the less you say, the more mysterious you appear. As a young man, the artist Andy Warhol realised that it was generally impossible to get people to do what you wanted them to do by talking to them. They would turn against you, subvert your wishes, and disobey you. In his later life he used this strategy with great success. In his interviews he would say something vague and ambiguous, and the interviewer would then spend the rest of the conversation trying to figure out if there was something more behind this meaningless phrase.
Warhol rarely talked about his work, and let others do the interpreting. He learned this technique from Marcel Duchamp, another 20th century artist who realised early on in his career that the less he said about his work, the more people talked about it, and the more people talked about it, the more valuable it became.
By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning and power, and more importantly reduce the risk of saying something foolish or dangerous. In 1825 Nicholas 1st ascended the throne of Russia, and a rebellion immediately broke out, led by liberals who demanded the country modernize and catch up with the rest of Europe. Nicholas brutally crushed the uprising, and sentenced one of its leaders, Kondraty Ryleyev, to death.
On the day of his execution the rope hanging him broke, and this was considered divine intervention, so Ryleyev was immediately pardoned. As soon as this had happened he called out to the crowd “You see, in Russia they don’t know how to do anything properly, not even how to make rope!” A messenger immediately went and told Nicholas 1st what had happened, and even though disappointed by the failed execution, agreed to sign the pardon. Before he did so however, he asked if Ryleyev had said anything, and when told of what he had said replied “Let us prove to the contrary.” The next day Ryleyev was hanged again, and this time the rope didn’t break.
Learn the lesson: Once the words are out, you cannot take them back.
Image: The Oracle Of Delphi
When visitors consulted the Oracle, the priestess would utter a few enigmatic words that seemed full of meaning. No-one disobeyed the words of the Oracle – they held power over life and death.
Authority
Never start moving your own teeth and lips before the subordinated do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I can thereby understand their real intentions.....If the sovereign is not mysterious, the ministers will find their opportunity to take and take. (Han-fei-tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 3rd century BC)
Reversal
There are times when it is unwise to be silent, as it can arouse suspicion and insecurity, especially in your superiors, as it can open you up to interpretations you hadn’t bargained for. It is sometimes wiser to play the court jester, who plays the fool but knows he is smarter than the king. He talks and talks and talks, and no-one suspects that he is more than just a fool.
Also, words can sometimes act as a smoke screen for any deceptions you may practice. By bending your listeners ear with talk, you can distract and mesmerize them; the more you talk, the less suspicious of you they become. People who talk a lot are not perceived as sly and manipulative but as helpless and unsophisticated. This is a reverse of the silent policy employed by the powerful: By talking more, and making yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease.
My Opinion
I must admit when I meet someone new, especially a number of people in a group setting, I usually take a back seat and see what people are like before doing much interaction with anybody. We’ve all had moments when we’ve regretted opening our mouths too soon and landed ourselves in hot water, and I have many moments, usually when drunk, where I’ve embarrassed myself by speaking before letting my brain engage.
I suppose the difference between this and Law 3 is that there is no real deception here, just advice as to mind what you say as your tongue can get you into serious trouble.
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Transgression Of The Law
Gnaeus Marcius, also known as Coriolanus, was a great military hero of ancient Rome. In the first half of the 5th century BC he won many important battles, saving the city from disaster time and time again, and because he spent most of his time on the battlefield few Romans knew him personally, making him something of a legendary figure.
In 454BC he decided it was time to exploit his reputation and enter politics, so stood for election for the high rank of consul. Candidates for this position traditionally made a public address at the start of the race, and when Coriolanus made his he began by displaying the dozens of scars he had accumulated from 17 years of warfare on behalf of Rome. Few in the crowd really listened to his speech as they were moved by his scars, proof of his patriotism and valour, and Coriolanus’s election seemed certain.
On polling day however he arrived into the forum escorted by the entire senate and the city’s patricians, and the common people who witnessed this were disturbed by such a show on election day. Coriolanus then spoke again, but this time his speech was aimed the wealthy and powerful citizens who had accompanies him, and his word were arrogant and insolent.
He claimed his victory in the election was certain, boasted of his battlefield exploits, made sour jokes that offended the common people, made numerous accusations against his opponents, and bragged about the riches he would bring to Rome. This time the common people realised that instead of being a flawless hero, he also had a dark, sinister side.
News of his speech quickly spread throughout Rome, and the people turned out in great numbers to make sure he wasn’t elected. Coriolanus lost the election, and then returned to the battlefield, vowing revenge on the common people who had turned on him. Some weeks later a shipment of grain arrived in Rome, and the senate was ready to distribute it to the people for free, but just as they did so Coriolanus appeared and argued that to do this would bring a great deal of harm on the city. After this he went on to condemn democracy itself, and said that the patriarchs should run the city from now on.
When word of this speech reached the people they were furious and demanded that Coriolanus appear before them. When he refused a riot broke out, and the senate immediately distributed the grain to try and appease them, but even though the riot calmed down they still demanded Coriolanus appear before them and apologize. They said if he repented, and in future kept his opinions to himself, he could return to the battlefield as a great warrior leader.
This time he agreed to appear, who listened to him in stony silence. He started slowly and softly, but it didn’t take long for him to become more and more blunt, ending up with him hurling insults at the crowd. Eventually the people had had enough and drowned him out with shouting.
The senate conferred and decided that Coriolanus was a danger to the order of the city and condemned him to death. He was to be taken to the top of Tarpeian Rock and thrown off, much to the delight of the common people. The patricians however managed to intervene and his sentence was commuted to a lifelong banishment from the city of Rome. Even though he was no longer going to be put to death, when the people found out their great military hero would never darken their city again the celebrations in the streets were greater than those that occurred after the defeat of an enemy.
Interpretation
Before his entrance into politics, Coriolanus evoked awe. His accomplishments on the battlefield showed him as a man of great bravery, and as so few of the citizens of Rome knew much about him, all kinds of legends became attached to his name. However the moment he appeared to the people and spoke his mind, all that vanished as he bragged and blustered like a common soldier. This discrepancy between the legend and reality was a huge disappointment to the people, who wanted to believe in him as a hero. The more he said, the less powerful and grand he appeared, and a person who cannot control their words shows that they cannot control themselves and are unworthy of respect.
Had Coriolanus said less, the people wouldn’t have had cause to be offended by him, and would never have known his true feelings. He would have maintained his powerful aura, would have been elected consul, and then accomplished his political goals. The human tongue is hard to master, and if it not tamed will run wild and land you in trouble. Power cannot be achieved by those people who squander their words.
“Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.” (Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519)
Observance Of The Law
In the court of Louis 14th, nobles and ministers would spend days and nights debating the issues of state. After a lengthy period of time, two people would be chosen to represent the different sides and they would go to Louis, explain their sides views, and the king would then decide which side to go with.
Louis would listen in silence, and then when both sides had made their presentation and asked for the king’s opinion, Louis would look at them both and say “I’ll shall see”, and then walk away. The ministers would never hear another word on the subject from the king, they would simply see the result a few weeks later when he would come to a decision and act. He would never bother to consult them on the matter again.
Interpretation
Louis 14th was a man of very few words. His “I shall see” was one of several extremely short phrases that he would apply to all manner of requests. He was not always a man of few words, as a young man he was known for talking at length and delighting in his own eloquence, but his later style was self-imposed as a mask to keep everyone off balance.
No-one knew exactly where they stood, or could predict his reactions, and no-one could try and deceive him by saying what they thought he wanted to hear as no-one knew what he wanted to hear. As they talked on and on to him they revealed more and more about themselves, information he could later use against them to great effect. In the end Louis’s silence kept those around him terrified and under his thumb, and this was one of the main foundations of his power.
“It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them.” (Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679)
Keys To Power
Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are. Your silence will make people feel uncomfortable, as people are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking. When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your intentions or your meaning.
Your short answers and silences will put them on the defensive, and they will jump in, nervously filling the silence will all kinds of comments that will reveal valuable information about them and their weaknesses. They will leave you feeling robbed, and will afterwards ponder your every word. This extra attention to your brief comments will only add to your power.
Saying less than necessary is not only for kings and people in powerful positions. In most areas of your life, the less you say, the more mysterious you appear. As a young man, the artist Andy Warhol realised that it was generally impossible to get people to do what you wanted them to do by talking to them. They would turn against you, subvert your wishes, and disobey you. In his later life he used this strategy with great success. In his interviews he would say something vague and ambiguous, and the interviewer would then spend the rest of the conversation trying to figure out if there was something more behind this meaningless phrase.
Warhol rarely talked about his work, and let others do the interpreting. He learned this technique from Marcel Duchamp, another 20th century artist who realised early on in his career that the less he said about his work, the more people talked about it, and the more people talked about it, the more valuable it became.
By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning and power, and more importantly reduce the risk of saying something foolish or dangerous. In 1825 Nicholas 1st ascended the throne of Russia, and a rebellion immediately broke out, led by liberals who demanded the country modernize and catch up with the rest of Europe. Nicholas brutally crushed the uprising, and sentenced one of its leaders, Kondraty Ryleyev, to death.
On the day of his execution the rope hanging him broke, and this was considered divine intervention, so Ryleyev was immediately pardoned. As soon as this had happened he called out to the crowd “You see, in Russia they don’t know how to do anything properly, not even how to make rope!” A messenger immediately went and told Nicholas 1st what had happened, and even though disappointed by the failed execution, agreed to sign the pardon. Before he did so however, he asked if Ryleyev had said anything, and when told of what he had said replied “Let us prove to the contrary.” The next day Ryleyev was hanged again, and this time the rope didn’t break.
Learn the lesson: Once the words are out, you cannot take them back.
Image: The Oracle Of Delphi
When visitors consulted the Oracle, the priestess would utter a few enigmatic words that seemed full of meaning. No-one disobeyed the words of the Oracle – they held power over life and death.
Authority
Never start moving your own teeth and lips before the subordinated do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I can thereby understand their real intentions.....If the sovereign is not mysterious, the ministers will find their opportunity to take and take. (Han-fei-tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 3rd century BC)
Reversal
There are times when it is unwise to be silent, as it can arouse suspicion and insecurity, especially in your superiors, as it can open you up to interpretations you hadn’t bargained for. It is sometimes wiser to play the court jester, who plays the fool but knows he is smarter than the king. He talks and talks and talks, and no-one suspects that he is more than just a fool.
Also, words can sometimes act as a smoke screen for any deceptions you may practice. By bending your listeners ear with talk, you can distract and mesmerize them; the more you talk, the less suspicious of you they become. People who talk a lot are not perceived as sly and manipulative but as helpless and unsophisticated. This is a reverse of the silent policy employed by the powerful: By talking more, and making yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease.
My Opinion
I must admit when I meet someone new, especially a number of people in a group setting, I usually take a back seat and see what people are like before doing much interaction with anybody. We’ve all had moments when we’ve regretted opening our mouths too soon and landed ourselves in hot water, and I have many moments, usually when drunk, where I’ve embarrassed myself by speaking before letting my brain engage.
I suppose the difference between this and Law 3 is that there is no real deception here, just advice as to mind what you say as your tongue can get you into serious trouble.
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Law 4 – Always Say Less Than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Transgression Of The Law
Gnaeus Marcius, also known as Coriolanus, was a great military hero of ancient Rome. In the first half of the 5th century BC he won many important battles, saving the city from disaster time and time again, and because he spent most of his time on the battlefield few Romans knew him personally, making him something of a legendary figure.
In 454BC he decided it was time to exploit his reputation and enter politics, so stood for election for the high rank of consul. Candidates for this position traditionally made a public address at the start of the race, and when Coriolanus made his he began by displaying the dozens of scars he had accumulated from 17 years of warfare on behalf of Rome. Few in the crowd really listened to his speech as they were moved by his scars, proof of his patriotism and valour, and Coriolanus’s election seemed certain.
On polling day however he arrived into the forum escorted by the entire senate and the city’s patricians, and the common people who witnessed this were disturbed by such a show on election day. Coriolanus then spoke again, but this time his speech was aimed the wealthy and powerful citizens who had accompanies him, and his word were arrogant and insolent.
He claimed his victory in the election was certain, boasted of his battlefield exploits, made sour jokes that offended the common people, made numerous accusations against his opponents, and bragged about the riches he would bring to Rome. This time the common people realised that instead of being a flawless hero, he also had a dark, sinister side.
News of his speech quickly spread throughout Rome, and the people turned out in great numbers to make sure he wasn’t elected. Coriolanus lost the election, and then returned to the battlefield, vowing revenge on the common people who had turned on him. Some weeks later a shipment of grain arrived in Rome, and the senate was ready to distribute it to the people for free, but just as they did so Coriolanus appeared and argued that to do this would bring a great deal of harm on the city. After this he went on to condemn democracy itself, and said that the patriarchs should run the city from now on.
When word of this speech reached the people they were furious and demanded that Coriolanus appear before them. When he refused a riot broke out, and the senate immediately distributed the grain to try and appease them, but even though the riot calmed down they still demanded Coriolanus appear before them and apologize. They said if he repented, and in future kept his opinions to himself, he could return to the battlefield as a great warrior leader.
This time he agreed to appear, who listened to him in stony silence. He started slowly and softly, but it didn’t take long for him to become more and more blunt, ending up with him hurling insults at the crowd. Eventually the people had had enough and drowned him out with shouting.
The senate conferred and decided that Coriolanus was a danger to the order of the city and condemned him to death. He was to be taken to the top of Tarpeian Rock and thrown off, much to the delight of the common people. The patricians however managed to intervene and his sentence was commuted to a lifelong banishment from the city of Rome. Even though he was no longer going to be put to death, when the people found out their great military hero would never darken their city again the celebrations in the streets were greater than those that occurred after the defeat of an enemy.
Interpretation
Before his entrance into politics, Coriolanus evoked awe. His accomplishments on the battlefield showed him as a man of great bravery, and as so few of the citizens of Rome knew much about him, all kinds of legends became attached to his name. However the moment he appeared to the people and spoke his mind, all that vanished as he bragged and blustered like a common soldier. This discrepancy between the legend and reality was a huge disappointment to the people, who wanted to believe in him as a hero. The more he said, the less powerful and grand he appeared, and a person who cannot control their words shows that they cannot control themselves and are unworthy of respect.
Had Coriolanus said less, the people wouldn’t have had cause to be offended by him, and would never have known his true feelings. He would have maintained his powerful aura, would have been elected consul, and then accomplished his political goals. The human tongue is hard to master, and if it not tamed will run wild and land you in trouble. Power cannot be achieved by those people who squander their words.
“Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.” (Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519)
Observance Of The Law
In the court of Louis 14th, nobles and ministers would spend days and nights debating the issues of state. After a lengthy period of time, two people would be chosen to represent the different sides and they would go to Louis, explain their sides views, and the king would then decide which side to go with.
Louis would listen in silence, and then when both sides had made their presentation and asked for the king’s opinion, Louis would look at them both and say “I’ll shall see”, and then walk away. The ministers would never hear another word on the subject from the king, they would simply see the result a few weeks later when he would come to a decision and act. He would never bother to consult them on the matter again.
Interpretation
Louis 14th was a man of very few words. His “I shall see” was one of several extremely short phrases that he would apply to all manner of requests. He was not always a man of few words, as a young man he was known for talking at length and delighting in his own eloquence, but his later style was self-imposed as a mask to keep everyone off balance.
No-one knew exactly where they stood, or could predict his reactions, and no-one could try and deceive him by saying what they thought he wanted to hear as no-one knew what he wanted to hear. As they talked on and on to him they revealed more and more about themselves, information he could later use against them to great effect. In the end Louis’s silence kept those around him terrified and under his thumb, and this was one of the main foundations of his power.
“It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them.” (Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679)
Keys To Power
Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are. Your silence will make people feel uncomfortable, as people are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking. When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your intentions or your meaning.
Your short answers and silences will put them on the defensive, and they will jump in, nervously filling the silence will all kinds of comments that will reveal valuable information about them and their weaknesses. They will leave you feeling robbed, and will afterwards ponder your every word. This extra attention to your brief comments will only add to your power.
Saying less than necessary is not only for kings and people in powerful positions. In most areas of your life, the less you say, the more mysterious you appear. As a young man, the artist Andy Warhol realised that it was generally impossible to get people to do what you wanted them to do by talking to them. They would turn against you, subvert your wishes, and disobey you. In his later life he used this strategy with great success. In his interviews he would say something vague and ambiguous, and the interviewer would then spend the rest of the conversation trying to figure out if there was something more behind this meaningless phrase.
Warhol rarely talked about his work, and let others do the interpreting. He learned this technique from Marcel Duchamp, another 20th century artist who realised early on in his career that the less he said about his work, the more people talked about it, and the more people talked about it, the more valuable it became.
By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning and power, and more importantly reduce the risk of saying something foolish or dangerous. In 1825 Nicholas 1st ascended the throne of Russia, and a rebellion immediately broke out, led by liberals who demanded the country modernize and catch up with the rest of Europe. Nicholas brutally crushed the uprising, and sentenced one of its leaders, Kondraty Ryleyev, to death.
On the day of his execution the rope hanging him broke, and this was considered divine intervention, so Ryleyev was immediately pardoned. As soon as this had happened he called out to the crowd “You see, in Russia they don’t know how to do anything properly, not even how to make rope!” A messenger immediately went and told Nicholas 1st what had happened, and even though disappointed by the failed execution, agreed to sign the pardon. Before he did so however, he asked if Ryleyev had said anything, and when told of what he had said replied “Let us prove to the contrary.” The next day Ryleyev was hanged again, and this time the rope didn’t break.
Learn the lesson: Once the words are out, you cannot take them back.
Image: The Oracle Of Delphi
When visitors consulted the Oracle, the priestess would utter a few enigmatic words that seemed full of meaning. No-one disobeyed the words of the Oracle – they held power over life and death.
Authority
Never start moving your own teeth and lips before the subordinated do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I can thereby understand their real intentions.....If the sovereign is not mysterious, the ministers will find their opportunity to take and take. (Han-fei-tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 3rd century BC)
Reversal
There are times when it is unwise to be silent, as it can arouse suspicion and insecurity, especially in your superiors, as it can open you up to interpretations you hadn’t bargained for. It is sometimes wiser to play the court jester, who plays the fool but knows he is smarter than the king. He talks and talks and talks, and no-one suspects that he is more than just a fool.
Also, words can sometimes act as a smoke screen for any deceptions you may practice. By bending your listeners ear with talk, you can distract and mesmerize them; the more you talk, the less suspicious of you they become. People who talk a lot are not perceived as sly and manipulative but as helpless and unsophisticated. This is a reverse of the silent policy employed by the powerful: By talking more, and making yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease.
My Opinion
I must admit when I meet someone new, especially a number of people in a group setting, I usually take a back seat and see what people are like before doing much interaction with anybody. We’ve all had moments when we’ve regretted opening our mouths too soon and landed ourselves in hot water, and I have many moments, usually when drunk, where I’ve embarrassed myself by speaking before letting my brain engage.
I suppose the difference between this and Law 3 is that there is no real deception here, just advice as to mind what you say as your tongue can get you into serious trouble.
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Transgression Of The Law
Gnaeus Marcius, also known as Coriolanus, was a great military hero of ancient Rome. In the first half of the 5th century BC he won many important battles, saving the city from disaster time and time again, and because he spent most of his time on the battlefield few Romans knew him personally, making him something of a legendary figure.
In 454BC he decided it was time to exploit his reputation and enter politics, so stood for election for the high rank of consul. Candidates for this position traditionally made a public address at the start of the race, and when Coriolanus made his he began by displaying the dozens of scars he had accumulated from 17 years of warfare on behalf of Rome. Few in the crowd really listened to his speech as they were moved by his scars, proof of his patriotism and valour, and Coriolanus’s election seemed certain.
On polling day however he arrived into the forum escorted by the entire senate and the city’s patricians, and the common people who witnessed this were disturbed by such a show on election day. Coriolanus then spoke again, but this time his speech was aimed the wealthy and powerful citizens who had accompanies him, and his word were arrogant and insolent.
He claimed his victory in the election was certain, boasted of his battlefield exploits, made sour jokes that offended the common people, made numerous accusations against his opponents, and bragged about the riches he would bring to Rome. This time the common people realised that instead of being a flawless hero, he also had a dark, sinister side.
News of his speech quickly spread throughout Rome, and the people turned out in great numbers to make sure he wasn’t elected. Coriolanus lost the election, and then returned to the battlefield, vowing revenge on the common people who had turned on him. Some weeks later a shipment of grain arrived in Rome, and the senate was ready to distribute it to the people for free, but just as they did so Coriolanus appeared and argued that to do this would bring a great deal of harm on the city. After this he went on to condemn democracy itself, and said that the patriarchs should run the city from now on.
When word of this speech reached the people they were furious and demanded that Coriolanus appear before them. When he refused a riot broke out, and the senate immediately distributed the grain to try and appease them, but even though the riot calmed down they still demanded Coriolanus appear before them and apologize. They said if he repented, and in future kept his opinions to himself, he could return to the battlefield as a great warrior leader.
This time he agreed to appear, who listened to him in stony silence. He started slowly and softly, but it didn’t take long for him to become more and more blunt, ending up with him hurling insults at the crowd. Eventually the people had had enough and drowned him out with shouting.
The senate conferred and decided that Coriolanus was a danger to the order of the city and condemned him to death. He was to be taken to the top of Tarpeian Rock and thrown off, much to the delight of the common people. The patricians however managed to intervene and his sentence was commuted to a lifelong banishment from the city of Rome. Even though he was no longer going to be put to death, when the people found out their great military hero would never darken their city again the celebrations in the streets were greater than those that occurred after the defeat of an enemy.
Interpretation
Before his entrance into politics, Coriolanus evoked awe. His accomplishments on the battlefield showed him as a man of great bravery, and as so few of the citizens of Rome knew much about him, all kinds of legends became attached to his name. However the moment he appeared to the people and spoke his mind, all that vanished as he bragged and blustered like a common soldier. This discrepancy between the legend and reality was a huge disappointment to the people, who wanted to believe in him as a hero. The more he said, the less powerful and grand he appeared, and a person who cannot control their words shows that they cannot control themselves and are unworthy of respect.
Had Coriolanus said less, the people wouldn’t have had cause to be offended by him, and would never have known his true feelings. He would have maintained his powerful aura, would have been elected consul, and then accomplished his political goals. The human tongue is hard to master, and if it not tamed will run wild and land you in trouble. Power cannot be achieved by those people who squander their words.
“Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.” (Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519)
Observance Of The Law
In the court of Louis 14th, nobles and ministers would spend days and nights debating the issues of state. After a lengthy period of time, two people would be chosen to represent the different sides and they would go to Louis, explain their sides views, and the king would then decide which side to go with.
Louis would listen in silence, and then when both sides had made their presentation and asked for the king’s opinion, Louis would look at them both and say “I’ll shall see”, and then walk away. The ministers would never hear another word on the subject from the king, they would simply see the result a few weeks later when he would come to a decision and act. He would never bother to consult them on the matter again.
Interpretation
Louis 14th was a man of very few words. His “I shall see” was one of several extremely short phrases that he would apply to all manner of requests. He was not always a man of few words, as a young man he was known for talking at length and delighting in his own eloquence, but his later style was self-imposed as a mask to keep everyone off balance.
No-one knew exactly where they stood, or could predict his reactions, and no-one could try and deceive him by saying what they thought he wanted to hear as no-one knew what he wanted to hear. As they talked on and on to him they revealed more and more about themselves, information he could later use against them to great effect. In the end Louis’s silence kept those around him terrified and under his thumb, and this was one of the main foundations of his power.
“It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them.” (Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679)
Keys To Power
Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are. Your silence will make people feel uncomfortable, as people are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking. When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your intentions or your meaning.
Your short answers and silences will put them on the defensive, and they will jump in, nervously filling the silence will all kinds of comments that will reveal valuable information about them and their weaknesses. They will leave you feeling robbed, and will afterwards ponder your every word. This extra attention to your brief comments will only add to your power.
Saying less than necessary is not only for kings and people in powerful positions. In most areas of your life, the less you say, the more mysterious you appear. As a young man, the artist Andy Warhol realised that it was generally impossible to get people to do what you wanted them to do by talking to them. They would turn against you, subvert your wishes, and disobey you. In his later life he used this strategy with great success. In his interviews he would say something vague and ambiguous, and the interviewer would then spend the rest of the conversation trying to figure out if there was something more behind this meaningless phrase.
Warhol rarely talked about his work, and let others do the interpreting. He learned this technique from Marcel Duchamp, another 20th century artist who realised early on in his career that the less he said about his work, the more people talked about it, and the more people talked about it, the more valuable it became.
By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning and power, and more importantly reduce the risk of saying something foolish or dangerous. In 1825 Nicholas 1st ascended the throne of Russia, and a rebellion immediately broke out, led by liberals who demanded the country modernize and catch up with the rest of Europe. Nicholas brutally crushed the uprising, and sentenced one of its leaders, Kondraty Ryleyev, to death.
On the day of his execution the rope hanging him broke, and this was considered divine intervention, so Ryleyev was immediately pardoned. As soon as this had happened he called out to the crowd “You see, in Russia they don’t know how to do anything properly, not even how to make rope!” A messenger immediately went and told Nicholas 1st what had happened, and even though disappointed by the failed execution, agreed to sign the pardon. Before he did so however, he asked if Ryleyev had said anything, and when told of what he had said replied “Let us prove to the contrary.” The next day Ryleyev was hanged again, and this time the rope didn’t break.
Learn the lesson: Once the words are out, you cannot take them back.
Image: The Oracle Of Delphi
When visitors consulted the Oracle, the priestess would utter a few enigmatic words that seemed full of meaning. No-one disobeyed the words of the Oracle – they held power over life and death.
Authority
Never start moving your own teeth and lips before the subordinated do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I can thereby understand their real intentions.....If the sovereign is not mysterious, the ministers will find their opportunity to take and take. (Han-fei-tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 3rd century BC)
Reversal
There are times when it is unwise to be silent, as it can arouse suspicion and insecurity, especially in your superiors, as it can open you up to interpretations you hadn’t bargained for. It is sometimes wiser to play the court jester, who plays the fool but knows he is smarter than the king. He talks and talks and talks, and no-one suspects that he is more than just a fool.
Also, words can sometimes act as a smoke screen for any deceptions you may practice. By bending your listeners ear with talk, you can distract and mesmerize them; the more you talk, the less suspicious of you they become. People who talk a lot are not perceived as sly and manipulative but as helpless and unsophisticated. This is a reverse of the silent policy employed by the powerful: By talking more, and making yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease.
My Opinion
I must admit when I meet someone new, especially a number of people in a group setting, I usually take a back seat and see what people are like before doing much interaction with anybody. We’ve all had moments when we’ve regretted opening our mouths too soon and landed ourselves in hot water, and I have many moments, usually when drunk, where I’ve embarrassed myself by speaking before letting my brain engage.
I suppose the difference between this and Law 3 is that there is no real deception here, just advice as to mind what you say as your tongue can get you into serious trouble.