The Law of Power: Conjure up attractive fantasies in contrast to the gloomy realities of daily life, and people will flock to hear them. Truth is less pleasant, and fantasies are preferable. Spin the right tale at the right moment and wealth and power will follow.
Fantasy is appealing when life has become boring, gloomy, or oppressive. If you can create an appealing fantasy at the right moment, when spirits are low, you’ll attract wealth and power.
Following are some types of fantasies that attract and deceive the masses, by offering a contrast to a depressing reality.
Transformative change: Change is usually slow, and requires hard work, sacrifice, and persistence. Instead, promise instant, painless transformation of people’s fortunes (poverty to riches, sadness to happiness, sickness to health).
Adventure: Everyone must live within day-to-day constraints, including social and geographic boundaries, personal and familial responsibilities, financial and educational limits, etc. Instead, present exciting new worlds, where the usual rules don’t apply.
Peace and harmony: Humans are divided by so many things — culture, race, wealth, education, religion, politics — that conflict is inevitable. Instead, promise mystical connection.
Resurrection: The past is dead and gone, which is difficult for people to accept. Offer a fantasy that brings some element of the past back to life, for instance through the discovery of lost masterworks or sunken treasure.
Putting the Law to Work
In the late 1500s, when Venice had fallen on difficult times in contrast to its glorious past, a man named Bragadino arrived claiming he could make gold multiply by applying a secret substance. Venetians built him a palace and promised to fund a luxurious lifestyle, if he would produce gold to restore the city to its former glory. People believed his stories for a while, but eventually grew disillusioned and Bragadino had to flee to Bavaria, where he was eventually hanged after perpetrating the same scheme.
His fantasy was powerful because it came at the right moment, when Venice needed relief from its misfortune. Rather than the hard, painful work of rebuilding the city, he offered instant transformation — gold miraculously multiplied. For a while at least, his fantasy resonated and he enjoyed wealth and fame.
Spinning fantasies can be dangerous if people realize they’re being deceived. To steer clear of such shoals, keep your stories and promises vague, and avoid getting close to a point where you’re expected to produce something concrete.