Laws of Power? Law 21

According to Joost Elffers and Robert Greene, there are 48 laws of power. There's so many types of "power" -good and bad- I have to wonder how it applies to each type. Power of a dictator. Power of the mind. Power of your personality. Power to unlock secrets. Power of success. Power to brainwash. Power is powerful.


Let's take a look at the laws, one at a time, over the next few months, and how they can relate to you and your home business, if at all.

 Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons [sic].  The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are.  Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

"Playing sucker..." caught my eye because the connotation immediately puts me off.  I figure, the best way to deal with Law 21 is to CHANGE it, to reword it.  Put a positive spin on it, perhaps, because the negativeness can't be good for business, least of all, YOUR home business.


Yet, re-arranged, re-worded, there is value to the statement.


When someone is in your life, whether by birth, friendship, or business, you care about them in some way. When you care for a person, actions speak loud.  If you have millions of dollars, that may be the best way you can show you care-hand them a bundle after they complete an excellent six-week course of how to manage money.  


For the rest of us, we can show we care by allowing them to be themselves and to feel good about it.  Not lying and pretending to be stupid (think: dumb blonde trying to snag a handsome young man in the 1950's, the kind of girl who wants her man to not only take care of her, but to feel like she needs him and can't function properly without his smarts), but admiration and whenever possible, true edification.


Instead of taking the literal advice of Law 21, take this advice: Edify others, allow them to feel good about themselves, and let nature flow from there.


Whatever you do, you don't have to play dumb, you just have to acknowledge the other person's strengths, lift them up and let them know you have faith, and when all's said and done, reward them for "good behavior."