“Space we can recover, time we can never.” -Napoleon Bonaparte (Emperor of France)
The idea of time is such a mystery. It is said to be an “artificial concept” attributed to the “limitless of eternity”. We cannot explain for sure what it is, but we can say that it is given much importance and significance by many. “Time is gold” as the famous saying goes.
The 35th law of power tells the story of a French seminary-school teacher named Joseph Fouche who had an uncanny sense of timing. Fortunately, his sense of time proved to be in his advantage after numerous times of escaping imprisonment and even death. He started off as a revolutionary, became a moderate then a radical. He served King Louis XVIII during his reign then served Napoleon when his new citizen army were beginning to close in on Paris to take over. He kept switching sides to say it simpler. He was a skilled manipulator who knew how to move...and of course, WHEN to do it.
Fouche’s story offers us 3 lessons. First, is that we must always work with the spirit of the times. It is of key importance that we anticipate what is about to happen so that we can plan the perfect time to make our next move. Second, prevailing winds do not always require that we run with them. If there is prevailing conflict or turmoil, it is not always best that we ride with it. We must anticipate what the effect of it would be before taking any action. Third, we must have remarkable patience. Patience is any person’s best ally. Waiting may seem irritable but it is worth it because in the end, we may get something significant to our advantage.
“Since we have constructed the concept of time, we are also able to mold it to some degree, to play tricks with it.” The ability to do this is a tremendous gift so we must always learn to use it wisely and to our benefit. We must never let go to whatever time brings. This is why there is no reversal for this law. Allowing time to control us is a fatal move. We must be the ones guiding time instead of the other way around. If we can do this, time will surely carry us to power.
Raizza Encinas
HI18 Section L
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32 comments:
I agree completely.
I think that the root of successful manipulation is in the timing. No matter how good you are in producing smoke screens or in mirroring, or in finding out what people wants to hear and saying it or "con-ning" in general, it wouldn't be successful if you didn't do it at the right time.
You can see this in advertising for example, there are times when you have to create the hype first before you drop the big idea. If you drop the big idea before the hype, then it will be a blah and you fail.
Marion Causing
Hi18-K
Are you a COMM student? haha. That's a very nice example.
I remember talking about "hyping" (promotion through shrewd use of media) in my Public Relations class.
Take it from the Master of Hype himself, Phineas T. Barnum.. He took advantage of the time when war and chaos took place by creating a form of entertainment "new" to everyone. He created the hype first by introducing people to this "curiosity over amazing creatures...extraordinary people". It took a while before he got the world's attention, but he was patient with it...and soon after, his "Greatest Show on Earth" was born.
He's a legend. =)
Raizza Encinas
HI18-L
Yeah, timing is everything, from telling a good joke to hitting a ping pong ball.
Talleyrand, a sometime friend or foe to Fouche, is another person gifted with great timing. Before the French Revolution took full swing he decided to get a passport to Britain. The day after he left was when chaos erupted and aristocrats and government officials were either jailed or killed. You can call it luck or plain good timing.
monica ang L
while reading your law, i remembered my mother and one of her experiences that has something to do with timing. when my mom finds out that gasoline prices will shoot up the next day or in the coming days, she makes sure that she goes to the gas station now and has gas put in our cars. even if our cars are not yet low on gas, my mom still has gas put in them. think about it, in that way, my mom is actually saving money. it is important to look ahead and do what works for you. at the end of the day, buying gas before prices increase is a smart thing to do whether you need gas at the moment or not. it's all about timing. another example is when you want to buy something. if the object that you want to buy is at a regular price or if it is expensive, then wait for it to go on sale especially if that sale is not too far away. buy at a time when you know the price is right. in this situation, waiting will definitely be worth it.
time is something one must strive hard to have control of. it is important to manage your own time because you end up making good and wise decisions. since the world is filled with other people who do things differently, our timing plans may not go as desired at times. i guess what one can do is make sure that he is in charge of his own life and have an idea what things should be done at which time. in short, planning and awareness are important. one must set his or her own priorities and do what must be done. then let things go from there and just see what happens. hopefully, you'll get what you want and be successful at the end of the day.
-Philip Albert T. Verde
Hi18 K
Timing is an important part of success and power. We must take advantage of any opportunity we encounter whenever the time arises.
We must also take into consideration that we should do things when the time is right. Remember the old saying "there's a time for everything"?
The use of whatever resources we have at our disposal, regardless of the goal we are willing to achieve, plays an important role with respects to how and when we use it.
Hi-L Richard Hahn
I believe this is a very important law. if one doesn't master the art of timing, all his plans, however brilliant it is, will just be unsuccessful. For this law to work, you really have to know what's happening around you and when is the right time to start or stop doing something.
This is like what a conductor (of music) does, right? He directs an orchestra... the musicians should play with the right timing, and it's his job to tell the violinist to start, the cellist to stop, etc. Everything should be done with the right timing, or else the music the orchestra creates will just be noise.
But then, real circumstances are not as easy as conducting (i'm not saying conducting is easy, it's just not as difficult)... being able to predict possibilities is important for this law, and when something unexpected happens, it will be really hard for a person to find a right timing for his plans. what if his plans were better carried out before [insert unexpected event here] ? or he may have expected a better timing, but what if that time doesn't come? even if you think something through and through, no one can still perfectly predict the future...
Chris Macalinao
Hi18 - L
I think that this law doesn't necessarily have to take advantage of anyone in particular, and still will work out for the better for those trying to master the art of timing.
I mean, for example, if students are able to make the most of their free time by doing advanced reading or finishing a paper ahead of time instead of playing Dota or watching Spongebob, wouldn't that put them at an advantage? Wouldn't that benefit them instead of having to cram studying for two long tests and typing a paper all due the following day? It doesn't mean that they should just keep on studying and studying; they have all the time to do leisurely activities once they finish their harder tasks early enough.
Although, I have to admit, this is much MUCH easier said than done.
- Juan Carlos Miguel M. Galvez
@Miguel: I agree, mastering the art of perfect timing does not necessarily mean having to take advantage of anyone. In fact, I believe that perfect timing allows one to strengthens bonds.
Players of Civilization would know how important it is to establish good relations with neighboring civilizations--and finding the perfect timing to trade, to give gifts, and to ask for favors from foreign civs. A sense of timing allows the player to calculate the best times to deal with his neighbors. This is particularly important to achieve the Diplomacy victory--knowing when to deal with other civs can give you a perfect sense of how to deal with them too.
Chio Cebrero
Hi 18 L
Monica: Yes, Ive heard of Talleyrard. He and Fouche think alike.
During the year 1808, Napoleon started to lose loyalty and support after engaging into war with Spain ( country that posed no threat to France). Fouche knew that Napoleon was soon going to experience downfall..and being Napoleon's "trusted ally", he didn't want to go down along with him. And guess what? Talleyrand thought of it too! They actually joined forces during this time to create a conspiracy against Napoleon.
Raizza Encinas
Hi 18 Section L
Phillip: Haha! Nice example. My dad does the same thing with our family car. =)
As to your comment, I completely agree with the significance given to planning and awareness. It is important to have a sense of what is about to happen--to be aware of what is about to come next. This is exactly what the law meant with "recognizing the spirit of the times". It meant looking two steps ahead---ANTICIPATION.
however, you said that after which we should
"let things go...and just see what happens."
That we MUST NOT DO. Don't forget that the law does not tell us to recognize the times and allow ourselves to be taken by them. We can't just "let things go" because if we do, we will find ourselves lost in time instead of empowered by it.
This law has no reversal!
As the book says " There is no power in letting go of the reins and adapting to whatever time brings."
WE MUST GUIDE TIME OR WE WILL BE THE VICTIMS OF IT.
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
Chris:
That's an excellent example. The orchestra..one mistake in the conductor's timing and rhythm...the entire music piece is trashed.
Hmm, your comment sure is something to ponder on. It IS HARD to predict the times, that's for sure.
But think about it.. Fouche was able to do it...and i think it was because he was the kind of person who was keen with the events happening around him. It wasn't about him being a could predictor ( like he can tell the future and stuff)
I think that it all boiled down to how patient he was with observing his surroundings..(not to mention the people). His observations aided him in making the right decisions...and of course, WHEN TO DO THEM.
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
Miguel:
Watching spongebob? haha =) That's fun to hear.
Well, the law doesn't say anything about taking advantage of anyone...it's about TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TIME.
If we use your example, we can say that time had been used wisely and taken advantage of when a specific time had been allotted to complete the schoolwork instead of doing it on a "crunch time". =)
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
Chio:
Speaking of civilization, I'm playing the game right now while making these comments.hahahaha!
I completely agree. Take me for example..in one of my games,I broke the peace treaty with the English (this was a time when my Hanging Gardens was halfway through)
Bad move..and BAD TIMING..'coz I lost the city. They destroyed the whole lot..along with the Hanging Gardens project. (noo!)
(*sigh*..patience raiz ;p )
P.S. Goodluck to everyone with their CIV games =)
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
Timing. The skill is priceless in everything from sports to asking someone out (wahaha -_-). There's always this opportune moment and we wait for it, and when it comes that's when we act. Timing well gets the most out of something. In tennis, someone without timing can't possibly control his shots and it would fly all over the place. On the other hand, eyes on the ball and good timing can give precise control.
Denis Flores
Hi 18k
i totally agree. bad timing can ruin everything, especially perfect plans. but sometimes, imperfect timing can lead to a failure, but can still lead to success. sometimes, there are opportunities we do not see when we have not experienced failure yet. other times, a certain event happens after a mistake, or more specifically, a bad timing. my point is, we will not be able to see every opportunity if we do not fail sometimes. being too perfect is not always a good thing.
John Kristoffer M. Gomez
hi18 - section L
I agree that mastering the art of timing is one of the most crucial aspects to consider in gaining power. One cannot separate skill from excellent timing because a person without the other, efforts will be put in vain. In most instances, people who have no value for time fail in attaining their goal or succeeding in their plans. Knowing when to attack and knowing how to execute such attack usually result in a hard-earned victory.
Gliza Marasigan
Hi18-L
I agree with this law. We must know when the tides are changing and match our timing to take advantage of it. Timing is everything.
Sean Co
Hi 18 K
To react to the example given in the law, this may not always work. Riding the tide of the times may be a good tactic to win people over put with the people have witnessed the different tides, well maybe they can see the fact that you're just going with the flow. Some may think that you're just a person with no sense of belief because you're never grounded on your principles. They always change. And since many people say that this is crucial in manipulation, think about this as well. If riding the tides is you tactic in having perfect timing, who are you manipulating more? The people or yourself? Won't you eventually lose yourself if you keep on doing this? As they say, many games turn into reality.
Ayo Canlas
Hi 18 L
well, like most of the others have said or pointed out, timing is everything. okay, not everything-everything, but a big part of it. it's important to adjust to what happens and act based on what's already happening. things won't matter as much or at all if not done at the right time and place. one should be careful with this law though. it might not always work if it is used to the point that it makes you predictable.
kristina tan hi18 k
i was prepared to say something like "well how the heck are we supposed to do that?!", but fouche explained! thank God. i think it's all a high falutin way of saying that we need to think about the decisions we make, because we ultimately decide what happens to the world.
i think this is one of the most important laws, one that sort of encompasses all the rest (the book tells you what to do, but then, you should know when to do them). timing is an essential part of the success of most if not all the other laws.
Du, L
kris: i think of it this way...the "bad timing" allows us to create "new timing" that would aid us in achieving the success we want =)
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
What everyone says about timing here has a pretty bad connotation: manipulation. But then again, these are LAWS OF POWER, so...
I think a lot of us have to master this art of timing, not only in the manipulative sense, but also in the self-constructive sense. Like, when to speak, for prudence's sake. A lot of arguments could have been avoided if the words that had been said were said correctly, and, with proper timing.
~Sydney Arbilo
HI18-L
I'm not sure I'd want to live that way, though, always switching sides. I'd want to achieve power through one defining cause and not the divided causes of many. Maybe it's a matter of pride--if I really believe in what I'm fighting for, I don't think I'd want to give it up just to stay alive for another era.
Peep Warren
Hi18-L
peep: What Fouche did was his way to survive. If he fought for a certain ruler/ cause until the end, he would have long been dead..(oh yeah, he's dead.hahaha)
what i mean is, he could have died earlier...he could have went down in failure with all the other leaders (such as Napoleon) whom he had once fought with.
i respect your opinion, but i still think what he did was clever.
at hard times like those, its only practical to think of how to keep yourself ALIVE!
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
sydney: i don't think its about manipulation...it's about utilizing TIME. it's about knowing what to do with it..and learning to be in touch with it...its about being keen about things and knowing when to act on it. it really is an ART as the title of the law goes.
people think about it so negatively..but really, this law gives you the "skill"
it's not easy to use time to your advantage,you know. it takes a lot of patience and discipline.
Raizza Encinas
Hi 18 Section L
Ayo: that is why the law also reminds us that although t"riding with the tides" is ideal..it is not agreeable to get lost with it. fouche didn't just ride one tide. he got off the tide when he knew it was time to stop.
the law reminds us that allowing the reigns of time to take us over will make us lose our sense of self..
riding the tides cannot, in itself, be a tactic to perfect timing. it's also in knowing WHEN to ride them and WHEN to get off.
and its not a matter of manipulating people...its manipulating TIME..and TIME only!
Raizza Encinas
Hi18 Section L
Timing can be very much applied to comedy. Great comedians know when the right time is to pull up a joke. Mastering the art of timing does not seem to be easy at all. It is learned through experience and applied with wit. I agree, there is no reversal to this law; once you've done it, you've done it. This is why timing requires mastery. Success comes hand in hand with great timing.
And yes, this is indeed easier said than done.
Czarina Kathryne Masagca
Hi18-L
Definitely, timing is everything. Even the best jokes will fail if you don't get the timing right. Here's a more historical example: World War II. The Germans failed in their Russian campaign because they came ill prepared for winter. That was just bad timing.
I think this is one of the most important laws, but is also something all of us should somehow master.
Sam Bautista
Hi18-K
However, boldness is only a tactical strategy and should not always be the basis of all your actions. If audacity is your only weapon in life...'
I think you misunderstand. You are interpreting things out of fear. (it happens to me also, I am not bashing you for it)
But boldness is an attitude, not a strategy. As said in the book: 'mistaks committed by audacity are overcome with even more audacity'.
Yes, you might offend people. Yes, you might lose out. It's a gamble. An high risk. That is why people admire the bold, and that is why few people are bold. Because it's very risky.
Exceptional post but I was wanting to know if you could write
a litte more on this subject? I'd be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Thank you!
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