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Law 26: Keep Your Hands Clean
Core Idea
This law from The 48 Laws of Power by
Robert Greene emphasizes the importance of maintaining a pristine reputation
while achieving your goals. To wield power effectively, you must appear blameless, even when engaging in
actions that could be seen as ruthless or unethical. The key is to avoid direct responsibility for
controversial decisions by using intermediaries, distractions, or scapegoats.
Key Principles
1. The Illusion of Innocence
- Why? People judge based on
appearances. If you seem virtuous, they will trust and defend you, even if
rumors suggest otherwise.
- How? Always present yourself as
fair, reasonable, and above petty conflicts.
- Example: A CEO fires employees but
blames "market conditions" rather than personal decisions.
2. Use Scapegoats to Absorb
Blame
- Why? When something goes wrong,
someone must take the fall—but it should never be you.
- How?
- Delegate Dirty Work: Have others
execute controversial tasks.
- Publicly Distance Yourself: If
exposed, act shocked and condemn the act.
- Example: A politician lets an
advisor take the blame for a scandal, then fires them to appear
"ethical."
3. Use Cat’s-Paws (Pawns Who
Do Your Dirty Work)
- Why? Some tasks require unethical
actions—but you must not be directly linked.
- How?
- Manipulate Eager Followers: Let
ambitious underlings take risks for you.
- Use Misinformation: Let others
believe they act independently.
- Example: A king sends a rival to
battle, hoping he dies, but publicly praises his bravery.
4. Conceal Your Role in
Conflict
- Why? Open aggression makes enemies;
subtlety keeps your hands clean.
- How?
- Provoke Others to Act First: Let
your opponent seem like the aggressor.
- Use Misdirection: Shift attention
to a third party.
- Example: A business rival leaks
damaging info anonymously, letting media scrutiny destroy the competition.
5. Maintain Plausible
Deniability
- Why? If accused, you must have an
alibi or a way to deflect.
- How?
- Avoid Direct Orders: Speak
ambiguously so no one can prove your intent.
- Use Intermediaries: Work through
proxies who can’t trace decisions back to you.
- Example: A mob boss never explicitly
orders a hit but implies disapproval of a traitor.
Why This Law Matters
- Power Preservation: A tarnished
reputation weakens influence.
- Long-Term Control: Those who seem
untouchable rule longer.
- Flexibility: You can shift blame and
adapt when things go wrong.
Historical & Modern
Examples
1. Machiavelli’s Prince
- Rulers
were advised to do necessary evils
through ministers, then punish them to appear just.
2. Corporate Executives
- When
a company fails, CEOs often blame "market shifts" or
"former management" rather than their own decisions.
3. Political Leaders
- A
president may let a subordinate announce unpopular policies, then fire
them if backlash grows.
When to Break This Law
- If you need fear more than respect (e.g.,
dictators who rule through terror).
- If your power is absolute and you no
longer need to hide actions.
Final Warning
- Don’t get caught in lies—once trust is
gone, it’s hard to regain.
- Don’t overuse scapegoats—people will
notice the pattern.
Takeaway
True power lies in seeming
virtuous while operating ruthlessly behind the scenes. By keeping
your hands clean, you ensure that others—not you—bear the costs of difficult
decisions.
Would you like strategies on applying this in business, politics, or personal life?
✍️แ ្แាแ់แី แขแฆ៖ แแ្แាแៃแข្แแแขោแแ្แขាแ (Keep Your Hands Clean)
แ ្แាแ់แី แขแฆ៖ แแ្แាแៃแข្แแแขោแแ្แขាแ (Keep Your Hands Clean)
(แแ្แแ់แแ្แขិแแាแាแាแ្แែแ)
แោแแំแិแแ
แ្แแ
แ្แុแแៀแแៅ "แ
្แាแ់แី แคแจ แៃแขំแាแ
" แแแ់ Robert Greene แ
្แាแ់แេះแแ្แ ាแแីแាแៈแំแាแ់แៃแាแแแ្แាแូแแាแแ៏แ្แขแแិแុแ្แ แៅแេแแែแแข្แแแំแុแแแ្แេแ
แោแแៅแែแแขាแ
แាแแាแแขាแ៉ាแ់។ แข្แแแ្แូแแើแแើแแាแាแแុแ្แแុแ
แិแ แិแแ្แាแแំแ ុแ แោះแីแข្แแแ្แើแแแ្แแាแแขាแ្แแ់แ៏แោแ។ แแ្แោแាแแឺ แុំแขោแแេแឹแแាแข្แแแាแข្แแแ
ាแ់แាแ แោแแ្แើแข្แแแแៃแា แោแแៅแំแួแ (scapegoats) แฌ แงแแแแ៍ (cat’s-paws)។
แោแแាแแ៍แំแាแ់แ
แก. แแ្แើแแូแแាแแាแข្แแแ្แាแแោแ (Illusion of Innocence)
- แ េแុแข្แី? แแុแ្แแាแแ្แแែแแាแแแ្แៃแข្แแแាแแข្แីแែแแើแ។ แើแข្แแแ ាแ់แូแ
แាแแុแ្แแ្แข แេแឹแแឿแុแแ
ិแ្แ แិแแាแแាแแข្แแ។
- แ្แើแូแ
แ្แេแ
?
- แាแแขាแแ្แแិแិแាแ៏แួแแแ (แុแាแแាแแា แแแแ្แ)។
- แុំแ
េแแុแแ្แុแแขំแើแขាแ្แแ់។
- แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แាแแแแ្แแแ្แ្แីแ្แាแ់แแ្แេแแข្แแแួแแ្แា แ៉ុแ្แែแ
ោแแាแោแแាแ "แេแ្แแិแ
្แ
แ្แាแ់แ
ុះ" แំแួแแขោแแាแแแួแแុแแ្แូแแ្แាแ់។
แข. แ្แើแោแแៅแំแួแ (Scapegoats) แើแ្แីแៀแแាแแាแแ
ោแแ្แแាแ់
- แ េแុแข្แី? แេแแាแแแ្แ ា แ្แូแแាแแข្แแแាแ្แាแ់แแួแแុแแ្แូแ—แែ แុំแขោแแข្แแแាแข្แแแោះ។
- แ្แើแូแ
แ្แេแ
?
- แ្แេแแាแแាแแขាแ្แแ់แៅแขោแแข្แแแแៃ (แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แขแុแ្แแាแ แฌแុแ្แแិแแ្แាแ់แ្แោแ)។
- แ្แើแាแ្แាแ់แ្แขើแ แ ើแแាแ់แแ្แแแ្แแข្แแแោះแើแ្แីแแ្แ ាแแាแข្แแแុแ
แិแ។
- แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แข្แแแแោแាแแ្แាแ់แขោแแข្แแแំแាแแแួแแុแแ្แូแแ
ំแោះแ្แោះแ្แាแ់ แួแ
แแแ
េแแីแំแែแ។
แฃ. แ្แើแงแแแแ៍ (Cat’s-Paws) แើแ្แីแ្แើแាแแាแแขាแ្แแ់
- แ េแុแข្แី? แាแแขំแើแ្แះแែแแข្แแแិแแขាแ
แ្แើแ្แាแ់แាแ។
- แ្แើแូแ
แ្แេแ
?
- แូแแុแแข្แแแែแแ្แាแីแាแ แขោแแ្แើแំแួแแข្แแ។
- แ្แើแ័แ៌แាแแិแแិแ แขោแแេแិแแាแួแแេแแ្แេแ
แ
ិแ្แแោแแ្แួแแฏแ។
- แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แេแឹแแាំแោแាแแ្แូแแេแាแិแាแแ្แាแ់แៅแแแแូแិแែแแ្แាแแแ្แឹแ แើแ្แីแขោแแេแ្แាแ់។
แค. แាแ់แាแแ
ូแแួแแแแ់แข្แแแ្แុแแแ្แោះ
- แ េแុแข្แី? แាแแ្แแាแ់แ្แាแ់แ
ំแោះแแ្แោះแឹแแแ្แើแแข្แแแ
្แแែแ។
- แ្แើแូแ
แ្แេแ
?
- แំแុแแขោแแข្แแแแៃแ
ាแ់แ្แើแแแ្แោះแុแ។
- แំแាแ់แขាแแ្แแ៍ แោแแแ្แ
េแแ័แ៌แាแแขំแីแាแីแីแฃ។
- แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แ្แ
ាแ់แ្แុแแ ៊ុแแ្แแាแแขោแแข្แแแាแแ័แ៌แាแแឹแแขំแីแំแ ុแแแแ់แแិแេแ แំแួแแขោแแ្แួแแฏแ។
แฅ. แแ្แាแฑแាแแแិแេแแាแ (Plausible Deniability)
- แ េแុแข្แី? แើแข្แแแ្แូแแាแแ
ោแ แข្แแแ្แូแแាแแ្แូแแេแ
แេះ។
- แ្แើแូแ
แ្แេแ
?
- แុំแขោแแข្แแแแៃแាแแแ្แុแាแ แាแข្แแแាแแแ្แាแាแ។
- แិแាแแោแแិแแ
្แាแ់แាแ់ แើแ្แីแขោแแ្แាแแข្แแแាแขាแ
แแ្แាแ់แាแ។
- แงแាแ แแ៍៖ แេแแแแ្แแ្แាแ់แិแแ
េแแុแแแ្แាแ់แขំแើแ ិแ្แាแេ แ៉ុแ្แែแข្แแแាំแ្แแឹแแាแ្แូแแ្แើแข្แី។
แ េแុแข្แីแ
្แាแ់แេះแំแាแ់?
✔ แขំแាแ
แ្แាแแែแแំแแ់ – แข្แแแែแแាแแុแីแแแ៌แ្แាแแข្แแแាแ ៊ាแแាแแ្แแ ាแ។
✔ แ្แแ់แ្แแแាแแូแ – แข្แแแែแแិแแ្แាแ់แ្แុแแขแ្แាแ់แឹแแ្แแ់แ្แแแាแแូแ។
✔ แាแแแូแ – แขាแ
แ្แាแ់แ្แូแแុแ្แแាแ្แ្แแៅแេแแែแแข្แីแแិแแ្แแแ្แា។
แงแាแ แแ៍แ្แแแ្แិแាแ្แ្แ & แแ័แแំแើแ
แก. แขแិแាแแ
ិแ "แីแ แ៊ីแ ៊ួแ"
- แាแแ្แើแแ្แ្แីแាแ
្แើแแា แោแแៅแំแួแ แ ើแแ្แแ ាแแីแិแแួแแេแៅแេแแាแแំแ ុแ។
แข. แាแแแ្แុแแ ៊ុแแំแ
- แៅแេแแ្แុแแ ៊ុแแាแแแ់ แួแแេแ
ោแ "แេแ្แแិแ
្แ
แិแแแោแ" แំแួแแขោแแាแแ្แแ់แ្แแแ្แះแ្แាแ។
แฃ. แข្แแแแោแាแ
- แข្แแแแោแាแแាแ
្แើแแ្แើ แข្แแแិแាแแំแួแแាแ แើแ្แីแ្แแាแแោแแแោแាแแែแแขាแ
แแ្แាแแขោแแាแแាแแិះแแ់។
แ្แแាแ
⚠ แុំแขោแแេแ
ាแ់แាแแាแข្แแแុแ แ – แើแข្แแแ្แូแแាแแេแឹแ แข្แแแឹแแាแ់แแ់แขំแាแ
แាំแแ្แុแ។
⚠ แុំแ្แើแិแីแេះแឹแแាแ់แេแ – แข្แแแแៃแឹแแឹแแ្แិแ
แแแ់แข្แแ។
แាแแ
ុแแ្แោแ
แขំแាแ
แ៏แិแแ្แាแแแឺ แាแแាแแូแแាแแ្แขាแ แ៉ុแ្แែแขាแ
แ្แើแข្แីแ៏แាแแោแแិแแាแแข្แแแាแឹแ។ แោแแแ្แាแៃแข្แแแขោแแ្แขាแ แข្แแแขាแ
แ្แแ់แ្แแแ្แាแแាแแោแแិแแាแ់แแ់แាแแោแแ។
๐ แើแข្แแแ แ់แขแុแแ្แแ ្แាแ់แេះแៅแแ្แែแแា? (แាแแាแ แแោแាแ แฌแីแិแแ្แាแ់แ្แួแ)