Law 40 of 48
Despise the Free Lunch.
Be wary of offers or opportunities that appear too good to be true. Maintain a healthy skepticism and recognize that nothing truly comes for free. By avoiding the allure of easy gains, you can protect yourself from potential pitfalls or exploitation.
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
What arrives free is usually paid for somewhere else — in obligation, in information, in the leverage the giver quietly acquires. Paying full price for what you need buys independence, which is normally the cheaper deal. This is not stinginess, it is refusing to be owned.
Where you would have seen it
A supplier covers dinner and the tickets and asks for nothing. Months later their contract comes up for renewal, and you notice you are arguing their case to your own team without ever having decided to.
Try it today
Turn down one favour today that you could pay for yourself. If you have already taken one, settle it — return it, split it, or pay your share.
Where this shows up
Law 40 tends to come up in these parts of life. Follow a path to read the other laws that belong with it:
Negotiating · Friends & Family
Laws that go with it
If law 40 landed, these are the entries people usually read next — they cover overlapping ground: law 15, law 20, law 44.
Crush Your Enemy Totally.
Half-finished conflicts do not end.
Friends & FamilyNegotiatingLeading PeopleLaw 20Do Not Commit to Anyone.
The point is not to keep everyone at arm's length, which only makes you useless to all sides.
At WorkFriends & FamilyNegotiatingLaw 44Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect.
People trust what resembles them, so echoing someone's words and values buys credibility that has not been earned.
NegotiatingFriends & Family