The 48 Laws of Power: Laws 21–24

"Play smart. And let others underestimate you."

🎭 Pretend to be stupider than you are – that's a master weapon.

Being underestimated? That's a gift.
When others think you're "just a nice girl," they get defensive. And you? You calmly rearrange the chessboard.

💡 Practical:

• "Sure, I really don't understand cars..." – but I know you don't want to rip me off for the repair, so I'm keeping quiet and watching.
• “IT is a Spanish village for me…” – and I just saw your post-it with the password.

🧨 When the time comes? Your "sudden insight" will explode their confidence like New Year's Eve fireworks.

📜 Quote: "The best trick is not to deceive the enemy, but to let him deceive himself." –Sun Tzu

🦊 Sometimes retreat is not weakness. It's the hunter's strategy.

Imagine a tigress: she retreats into the shadows, looks defeated… and then pounces just when her prey loses its attention.

💡 How to do it:

• An unpleasant project? Leave it to someone else and wait for an opportunity that works in your favor.
• Gossip? Ignore it. It seems like weakness, but it's just the calm before the storm.

📜 Quote: "It is not the one who is stronger who wins, but the one who can wait." –Napoleon Bonaparte

Distraction is the biggest thief of performance. Instead of 10 projects, do one so perfectly that others will stare with their mouths open.

💡 This works:

• Focus on one key topic, product or direction.
• Everything else? The breathtaking backdrops of your main show.

📜 Quote: "Weak people have many choices. Strong people have one." – Friedrich Nietzsche

👑 Act like a court master of psychology.

Powerful people love admiration—and whoever gives it to them in the right way has a seat at the table. It’s not about flattery. It’s about ego management.

💡 Reality:

• Does the boss have the idea of the year? Confirm it. When it goes wrong, you suggest a better one.
• Your colleague wants to be a star? Let him be. You can play the lighting director – with your own script in hand.

📜 Quote: "A good actor controls emotions. A great strategist controls the egos of others." –Winston Churchill

💥 Summary?

👉 Look like a beginner, but act like a chess queen.
👉 Gain more by stepping back for a moment.
👉 One focus = one success.
👉 Ego is the weakest point of the powerful. And you have the instructions.

🔗 Want more?

📚 Previous episode: Acts 17–20 »
📚 Access to the entire section »

💬 What do you think of today's foursome? Have you ever felt like a chess player disguised as a damsel in distress? 😉