Law 10 of 48
Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky.
Steer clear of individuals who exude negativity or consistently experience misfortune, as their pessimism and misfortune can be contagious. Surround yourself with positive, motivated individuals who inspire and uplift you, fostering a supportive and conducive environment for success. By avoiding the company of the unhappy and unlucky, you can maintain a positive mindset and increase your own chances of success.
Independent commentary on a principle popularised in The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the authors or their publishers.
What it actually means
Moods are contagious, and so are habits of blame. The honest version is much narrower than the phrasing suggests: bad luck does not spread, and walking away from someone in a hard year is just cowardice. What does spread is the person who keeps creating the crisis they then need rescuing from.
Where you would have seen it
A friend rings most evenings about the same conflict at work, rejects every option, then rings again the next night. You notice you are angrier at her manager than she is, and that you have started expecting your own days to go badly.
Try it today
Cap one draining conversation today at twenty minutes. Say at the start when you have to go, then go when you said you would.
Where this shows up
Law 10 tends to come up in these parts of life. Follow a path to read the other laws that belong with it:
Laws that go with it
If law 10 landed, these are the entries people usually read next — they cover overlapping ground: law 36, law 2, law 4.
Ignoring Things You Cannot Have Is the Best Revenge.
Attention is the one thing here you genuinely control, and spending it on a slight is what keeps the slight alive.
ComposureFriends & FamilyLaw 2Never Put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies.
Friendship makes obligations invisible: nobody states the terms, so nobody can be held to them.
Friends & FamilyAt WorkLaw 4Always Say Less than Necessary.
People hear a pause as composure and fill it in your favour; they hear volume as need.
NegotiatingComposure