It isn't always right to think that isolating ourselves from the hurtful world can protect or save us more than being exposed to the people responsible for chaos. Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, isolated himself because he was so terrified of human contact. A little background, he was the one who conquered all kingdoms surrounding his own kingdom Ch'in, unified it all and called it China. He even built a palace with 270 pavilions, thus, not letting anyone know his whereabouts. This isolation made him paranoid, that everyone was out to get him. He ended up losing control over his kingdom that his eunuchs and ministers had to take over, who also happened to plot against him. Due to his isolation, he lost himself and his contact with his sources of power and information.
Unlike Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, King Louis XIV made himself seen by everyone. He made the Versailles to make sure that he has an eye and an ear on everyone and everything around him, of course, with much more focus on his nobles. He made himself open to coming information about him and everything. There was no possibility of privacy at the Versailles because the rooms are interconnected and the hallways lead to larger rooms where the nobles gathered. Being the center, he always has the chance to look at things, noticing and knowing everything. His power was practiced more because of his constant contact with the nobles. He will always know if someone was plotting against him and he could stop the plan easily. He didn't let anyone out of his sight. Louis XIV did the right thing.
Making yourself the center of everything makes you powerful and keeps you in control because you know what everyone is doing. Just like the Versailles, be open to communication. Remember, without keeping an ear to what is happening, you will be unable to protect yourself.
Why be miserable and alone while protecting yourself when you can be powerful and in control while doing so? What do you think?
Es mejor amar que aislarse.
It's better to LOVE than to isolate oneself.
Clarice Colleen Q. Manuel
II - ABEC
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
31 comments:
I forgot to include in the email my section
Clarice manuel
Hi18 K
You are right on the fact that one should not isolate one's self especially when one is a monarch or holds a position equal to that however Qin Shi Huangdi's empire fell due to his overwhelming trust on his Prime Minister who installed his weaker son in order to remain in power.
Aaron Chan Hi18 L
although everyone needs to have his or her own privacy every now and then, this must not be taken to the extreme such that you end up living in isolation and away from human contact and from the real world. i quote one famous saying, "no man is an island." no one should really live in isolation because it just isn't human at all. we are relational beings. when one is isolated, he or she operates in his or her own world, a world that might be different from the real world. in effect, that person does not become updated and aware of what is happening in the surroundings. being sociable, on the other hand, enables you to get in the mix of things. you really know what's going on, and you are aware of the important things. you get to cope with the ever-changing world. it is important to build close ties with other people because in this world we live in today, success can be attained if you have connections. it is important to have a lot of friends and know that you can be trusted.
-Philip Albert T. Verde
Hi18 K
According to Kim Fabricius, to be human is to be relational, therefore the act of isolating one's self goes against human nature. I believe in this law of power because it makes sense that in order to gain a certain level of control over someone, one needs to earn that person's trust, which one cannot achieve through building a barrier around him/her.
Also, isolation makes a person ignorant to his surroundings which gives him/her no power at all, even puts him/her at risk for danger.
According to Kim Fabricius, to be human is to be relational, therefore the act of isolating one's self goes against human nature. I believe in this law of power because it makes sense that in order to gain a certain level of control over someone, one needs to earn that person's trust, which one cannot achieve through building a barrier around him/her.
Also, isolation makes a person ignorant to his surroundings which gives him/her no power at all, even puts him/her at risk for danger.
Elise Noelle Anne Lim
II BS CTM
Hi18 Section L
Fortresses are meant to protect people inside from the harm that may be awaiting outside but, this doesn't mean that you're safe. You still can't let your guard down because anything inside can still harm you and getting out may be a problem.
I guess "making yourself the center of everything" can be a good thing by helping you be in an advantage to weigh the people around you and see what they are up to. I guess the law tells us to be careful in trusting people that will compose our "fortress" (not too much trust), for anyone (friends, BFFs, BFs/GFs, manong driver, yaya etc) can be a snake; when you're all alone and least expect it "KAPOW!"
Better to be safe than sorry.
"the closer you get to the light, the larger your shadow becomes"
JR Resma
Hi18 K
Of course, it really is better to be visible to people than to isolate oneself. One couldn't possibly rise to power if people don't even know him/her. "Contact points" or things that could be associated with a particular person (i.e. achievements, name, territory) are always necessary if one wants to be recognized. One mustn't expect recognition if he/she detaches him/herself from everyone else.
Monica Copuyoc
Hi18- L
build fortresses for your city, but never for yourself. the moment you isolate yourself from other people, you block off every right and opportunity of overpowering them. Powerful leaders are those who are able to relate to others and those that can be related to. What is one of the dangerous things about fortresses? it's purpose can backfire. a fortress can also become a trap.
Kriska Rivadillo
Hi18 K
@ Elise
I agree that this law is also about gaining a person's trust. In order for them to trust you, you should be OPEN and APPROACHABLE. I don't agree with the other laws that you have to manipulate them in order make yourself powerful. It just doesn't work that way all the time.
Clarice Manuel
Hi18 K
@ JR
thanks sa Comment! :)
I like what you said about the snake thing. haha
I like the idea that the people around you like friends can serve as a fortress for you. I agree with that. Fortresses are meant to protect the people inside like friends who protect us from doing stupid things as well. But yeah, we should be careful which "friends" we use as a fortress. WE should choose our friends wisely. We don't want them to backstab us, right? what's the use of trusting people who aren't worthy to be trusted?
Clarice Manuel
Hi 18 K
@ Kriska
Thanks sa comment. :)
Our fortresses can serve as a trap too. Like in wars, once a royalty confines himself in one, his hiding place is obvious. Everyone will know where he is. He is more prone to danger because there will be no way out once the enemies surround him. The only way out is through death/surrender.
Clarice Manuel
hi18 K
it's kind of like the idea of a panopticon: where society doesn't know that they are being watched by someone (the leader, in this case). the problem here is that the leader becomes detached from the people. then they don't attribute to him the power that he has. and actually, it becomes easier to overthrow him because he doesn't establish a relationship with anyone.
ocampo 18-k
Long ago, I used to believe that isolation was pretty good in Civ 3. I was annoyed at civilizations offering to trade technologies, so I never made any trades. In effect, I lagged behind while the other civilizations prospered. Now, I make tech trades whenever I get the chance and with as much civilizations as possible. Now, life is good. I advance faster and I can wage wars with the low-tech civs >:)
Denis Flores
Hi 18k
Thanks for the comment Denis!
I agree with you. Civilization is a really good example of this law.
You do get left behind with technology if you don't build allies or check on your enemies/allies once in a while. If war happens and you don't build relationships plus you are low on technology, you'll definitely lose the fight.
Building strong relationships/alliances and keeping your eye on everyone is indeed essential to your civilization to help you grow and flourish.
-Clarice Manuel
hi 18 K
People can still be powerful even though they isolate themselves. But, maybe it's more advisable if they isolate themselves only to certain things, things that are irrelevant and harmful to your success. For example, leaders can isolate themselves from participating in actual wars firsthand. They can simply pay soldiers to do their dirty work so that they'd isolate themselves from the chance of dying during battle.
- Juan Carlos Miguel M. Galvez
Hi18 - L
I agree with this law. I also think that we can't avoid interacting with people, we can't avoid the changes that are happening in this world. I belive that avoiding and isolating oneself can't be a solution to any problem.
In case of Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, i think he only thought of the short-term effects. Building a fortress and isolating his kingdom might seem advantageous at first, but he should have thought of the negative effects of isolation, which is "loss of himself, contact with sources of power and information" as mentioned in the law.
Yu Chin Hong
Hi18-K
@ Miguel Galvez
Thanks for the comment!
I agree with you that you should only choose what to be isolated from rather than be totally isolated from the world. Although, not joining your men in battle is an act of cowardice, isn't it? Wouldn't that show the soldiers that their "powerful" leader is a coward?
I mean the LEADER should set an example of bravery to his men to encourage them.
Clarice Manuel
Hi18 K
the main thing about this law is not to be so obvious. one should not reveal to the enemy that he is protecting himself because this will only show the enemy how truly vulnerable you are. you should be confident but at the same time always keeping your guard up. this is different from 'protecting' yourself. like for example in boxing, if you keep protecting your face, the enemy will: 1) think that something hurts somewhere in that region and will try to take advantage of that injury, and 2) will try to attack the lower region because it is vulnerable (because you are not guarding that area). this is totally different from being keeping your guard up/being alert and trying to read what the opponent will do next.
John Kristoffer M. Gomez
hi18 - section L
I have always heard that the best hiding place is in plain sight. People are always more paranoid of the unknown than the known, thus those that isolate themselves really attract more attention than those who blend into the crowd. Not only does this help in hiding your strength from the enemy, but it also allows you to observe your enemies, as King Louis did in his Versailles. This allows you to keep afloat of things, as well as avoid stagnation.
Do not build walls, but rather learn to build roads.
Filbert Tan
Hi18K
One of the most used-up quotes in the world states, "no man is an island." We are humans and we need people around us, even just one companion to share our thoughts, desires and actions with.
Once you've decided to build fortresses around you to protect yourself, be informed that the world is going to move about without you. You're just one person in this planet, and leaving you dead (because of your own choices) wouldn't affect the majority of the people residing here. Isolate yourself and you allow your enemies to develop their armies and crush your poor little cities. Think of it as playing CIV. Once you do that, the game would simply say: GAME OVER!
History will remember you as ______ the Worthless :)
Gliza Marasigan
Hi18-L
I think that it was in Emperor Chin's best interest to keep himself isolated since there were assassination attempts on him. But i still agree with this law. If a president did not go on television and make speeches and announcements, we might lose trust in the presidency and this would lead to the decrease in the power of the President.
Sean Co
Hi 18 K
i believe that if you cut yourself off from people then you miss out on valuable information.
the world is so connected -- there are numerous ways to communicate, to gather information, to reach out -- so that the world is shrinking and people are becoming neighbors with strangers. the exchange of information facilitates the exchange of culture. the nature of sharing makes people more aware of each other's strengths, weaknesses and it is this knowledge which prompts us to become allies, not enemies (because, knowing an opponent's strengths makes us less keen on offending them and, at the same time, we realize that being their friend or ally makes it easier to extort their weaknesses and abuse the friendship, to an extent).
i think one of the main concepts being discussed here is the issue of communication. in the same way that the earth is shrinking, we are becoming closer and closer to other nations -- we can't afford to offend anyone, we can't HIDE from anyone and we can't shut ourselves from anyone because we rely too much on economy, trade and the balance between import and export.
i have to agree with this law -- i think it benefits anyone who prioritizes development through peaceful means rather than war and conflict produced by miscommunications.
kyra ballesteros hi18k
Depends on how you look at it really. Personally, having your eyes and ears on your people provides more security and regulation. Privacy is the cost, but hey at least you're sure the little people aren't planning an insurrection!
Joey Palma
Hi18-K
the law is most applicable in today's setting.not for leaders, but for countries as well. if you isolate yourself from the world, you won't prosper as much as the other countries. look at what happened to china when they closed their gates and ports... it had its benefits, yes. but i think they're better off now.
jaclyn yap
hi18 K
law #35:master the art of timing
For me, this law just proves how knowledge is power. The law orders not to isolate oneself, because then, you will have no knowledge of what happening beyond your vicinity. Like what happened with Ch’in Shih Huang Ti, he lost contact with his sources of information and without that, he didn’t know how to control his kingdom and how to defend himself (he didn’t even know from what he should be defending himself from). On the other hand, Louis XIV has all the knowledge. If you imitate Louis XIV, you’ll know everything, and if you’re good enough, you can predict anything and be ready for it.
But then, even though this law tells you not to isolate yourself, it doesn’t mean you have to be involved so much with people. I think it would still be best if you didn’t let others know everything about you. Because, then, they’ll have knowledge about you and gain power over you, and you don’t want that, do you?
Chris Macalinao
Hi18 – L
Not all leaders plan to be isolated. Some are just isolated due to how they go about thinks. It is true that having allies could lead you to be more powerful. Someone once said that great power resonates within relationships. If you chose to be open to others than you might get a chance of expanding leading you to gain more power than you were isolated.
Richard Hahn
L
What I think to be a clever strategy is to build up on communication in other states--you can be particularly transparent in the sense that people will falsely assume that they can figure you out--and isolate certain parts of your personality and details of your state. What people don't know won't hurt them--until later on, I guess.
Peep Warren
Hi18-L
Exactly. There is no point in isolating yourself because exposure is how a person learns and understands. This is especially important to leaders and masters who have numerous people of concern. A good leader is sociable and knows his people well. There is no way that a person succeeds without having to deal with problems concerning those who are below him. Ignorance is not a good statement for leaders.
Czarina Kathryne Masagca
Hi18-L
i believe it's a mix.. i'd want to be isolated for a long time so that i can appear to people as their bridge to anything.
it's like obama. he had days of reflection wherein even family wasn't allowed to see him and he used that time for reflection and isolation from a nation that needed him for a movement of change. isolation is not purely dangerous. it can even help in many different ways
Raf Sobrepena Hi - K
Yes indeed. I agree with you that no man is an island. When China finally opened themselves up to the Westerners, the hampered growth brought about by communism was diminished. The more they opened themselves up to the outside world, the more they gained resources, information and connections that lead them to the powerhouse that they are today. Yes, in this day and age, the “sleeping dragon is finally awake”. However, I think that there’s a problem with making yourself the center of everything. It will make you powerful and help you keep things in control, but you should also be wary that others would feel compelled to bring you down.
Chua Rojas, Serica
Hi 18 - L
These are some great tips. For those who could use some more specific advice, tips and information about great article thanks for posting.
Cook at 48 Laws of Power foods.
Post a Comment