Law 22: Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakens Into Power

48 Laws Of Power Summary Series

Judgement

“When you are weaker, never fight for honors sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of the fighting and defeating you — surrender first. By turning the other cheek you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.”

The concept of this law may prove challenging for many ‘Type A personalities’ who identify heavily the ‘masculine energy’. Especially because surrender is typically associated as a sign of weakness so it’s often hard to see how surrendering can be used as an intelligent tactic. The following story exemplifies how one can fall due to honor and pride getting in the way of a tactful surrender.

Transgression Of The Law

In classical times, the city of Athens dominated the sea and coastal areas around Greece. The island of Melos was situated in the…