48 Laws of Power: Law #4 Always Say Less Than Necessary

Law 4: Always say less than necessary

•      When trying to impress, the more you say the more common you look and less in control.
•      Be vague.
•      Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.
•      He who asks the questions is in control

• It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don’t follow through on. In such cases, your mouth is making you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Ergo don’t make promises you can’t keep. (unless you would benefit greatly from doing so obviously)
• So let’s now look at an example. Your child has been disrespectful, so you attempt to discipline them, but they are oppositional and increasingly rude. You pull out all the tried and true parenting techniques from your parenting book, but none of them work! The situation is escalating. YOU YELL BACK AND EXPRESS HOW ANGRY YOU ARE WITH YOUR CHILD. Finally, your son/daughter is quiet and sadly sulks to their room. You won! But what exactly has expressing your anger done for you? Your child is angry with you, likely fearful of you, and is also less likely to respect you because you apparently cannot control yourself. Furthermore, you have taught your child that losing control of your anger is an acceptable way to deal with other people. Perhaps they will follow your rules for the time being, but not for long, especially now they have learned losing control is acceptable.
• If you royally fucked something up, it often can be a wise move not trying to justify oneself but to remain silent about the matter and wait for the storm to subside than to draw unnecessary attention to it.

“Less is More”

SUR

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