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26th Law of Power — Keep Your Hands Clean

 26th Law of Power — Keep Your Hands Clean

Summary:

You should always maintain an image of innocence, morality, and respectability—even when your actions involve manipulation, deception, or morally grey choices. The key is to let others do your “dirty work” for you so that any mistakes, failures, or controversy fall on them, not you. By keeping your public reputation spotless, you preserve power and avoid being targeted.

Key Ideas:

  1. Appear Pure and Above Reproach – Your image matters more than your hidden reality. People judge by what they see, not what you do in the shadows.

  2. Use Others as Scapegoats – If an unpopular action is necessary, let someone else carry it out so you avoid backlash.

  3. Create a Buffer – Keep a distance from controversial or dangerous tasks. This prevents direct association.

  4. Control the Narrative – Even if you’ve made mistakes, frame events so you appear innocent and your rivals take the blame.

  5. Avoid Guilt by Association – Do not get too close to scandals, corrupt people, or controversial situations; they can stain your reputation.

  6. Be the Hero, Not the Villain – When the dust settles, appear as the problem-solver, not the instigator.

Practical Example:

A political leader may secretly order aggressive tactics against opponents but have a subordinate carry them out. If there’s backlash, the subordinate takes the fall, while the leader expresses “shock” and “disapproval,” maintaining a clean image.

In short:

Do the necessary but unpopular work indirectly—keep your image untarnished while the mess sticks to others.


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