Law 45 - Preach The Need For Change, But Never Reform Too Much At Once | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - a podcast by Jon & Dre

There is only one constant in life: Change. It destroys, creates, excites... but also terrifies. Most of us, however opened-minded we claim to be, instinctively resist change and prefer to cling to our familiar routines and circles. But creatures of habit are rarely powerful.

Law 45 breaks down this inertia: how can we make changes that suit us? How can we overcome the innate, tribal resistance of the people and structures which surround us?

Acceptance can come surprisingly quickly if you know how to play the game effectively, and in this episode we reveal the tools you need to do so. From Henry VIII telling the Pope to take a hike to why contemporary America has no real left wing politics, we explore how to make change without being destroyed.

We accidentally reveal our own resistance to change when it comes to new social networking gimmicks; explain why it's best to ask for forgiveness rather than permission; and why everything mainstream gets ruined.

We get into quite a debate on how scientific and cultural progress can and should happen, and argue that the idea of a 'slippery slope' is relevant, and talk about the terrifying historical examples which continue to repeat into the present day, even as we try to ignore them.

With examples from Stalin and Mao to Zuckerberg and Jobs, this is one packed and essential step on the road to power.

This episode includes:

• How to upgrade your workplace without alienating everyone around you
• What all progressives forget and how it neutralises their power
• Use Facebook secrets to develop your strategy and your business
• What the Holocaust and frogs in boiling water have in common
• Why eliminating dissent is always dangerous to power
• Using the past to legitimise your revolution
• Creating your own rituals to enhance your power
• Why universities are pointless

Mentioned in the episode:

• Order our beautiful companion book: The 48 Laws of Power in Practice!
• Ryan Holiday's superb book, Ego is the Enemy
• Mazlow's Hierarchy Of Needs
• Our feature interview with Robert Colvile on The Great Acceleration in our lives
• Hilary Mantel's hugely acclaimed novels about Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII: Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies
• The powerful Doctor Who clip Jon mentioned
• Mithras – the proto-Jesus!
• The Invention of Tradition, by Hobsbawm & Ranger
• George Orwell's essay on humour

 

Challenge: Seed the idea for change at your workplace, rather than trying to forcibly fix it yourself. Can you get someone else to do the work for you and take the flak? Let us know what happened next!

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene’s provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the ‘modern Machiavelli’, we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they’ve either observed or transgressed them).

Further episodes of Voices in the Dark

Further podcasts by Jon & Dre

Website of Jon & Dre