Tag: ai

MALICIA AS A GAME OF POWER (12/19/25)

Welcome to MALICIA AS A GAME OF POWER, a blog series exploring human interactions, communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation. It offers strategies for leadership, personal branding, and highlights the importance of social influence and emotional intelligence. Readers will find techniques for navigating social dynamics, resolving conflicts, and building a strong personal brand. The blog serves as a resource with insights and practical advice for using communication effectively to succeed personally and professionally, encouraging reflection on experiences to foster meaningful connections.

In this installment, we will explore the 47th law of power in the book, the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene. You can buy a copy by clicking HERE.

LAW 47 DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR IN VICTORY

LAW 47: DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR IN VICTORY

This law is a critical, yet often overlooked, principle of strategic success and power maintenance. It serves as a caution against the intoxicating hubris that can accompany a great triumph. The core idea is simple: once you have achieved your objective—once you have secured the victory you initially sought—stop. Continuing to push the boundaries of your success or attempting to exploit your defeated enemy further is a grave mistake that almost inevitably leads to a reversal of fortune.

The Peril of Over-Extension

When a victory is achieved, a dangerous psychological shift often occurs. The victor, feeling powerful and invincible, tends to become careless and greedy. They forget the measured caution and strategic planning that led to the success in the first place. Instead, they begin to believe they can achieve anything and often try to extract more from the situation than is realistically possible or politically advisable.

The consequences of this over-extension are threefold:

  1. Arousal of Resentment and Fear: Pushing your advantage too far humiliates the defeated and instills fear in onlookers, including your potential allies. When you aim for absolute destruction or total subjugation, you leave the enemy with nothing to lose, thus inspiring a desperate, last-stand resistance. Furthermore, neighboring powers and subordinates, observing your boundless ambition, will begin to see you not as a hero, but as a tyrant who must be stopped before their own interests are threatened.
  2. Dilution of Resources: Every step taken past the original goal requires an investment of time, money, manpower, and attention. This unnecessary expenditure drains your resources, weakens your original position, and provides your enemies (both current and future) with a potential opening. A finite victory is strong; an attempt at infinite victory is inherently fragile.
  3. The Point of Diminishing Returns: The greatest benefit is derived from the initial victory. Subsequent gains often come at a much higher cost and yield far fewer strategic advantages. The wise strategist knows when the maximum return has been reached and pulls back to consolidate their gains. To continue past this mark is to invite exhaustion and vulnerability.

Strategic Implementation

To adhere to LAW 47, a leader must exercise rigorous self-control and clear foresight:

  • Define the Mark: Before the conflict or competition even begins, clearly define what constitutes a complete and sufficient victory. This definition must be concrete, measurable, and limited.
  • Stop and Consolidate: Once the defined goal is met—the castle is taken, the treaty is signed, the market share is secured—it is time to halt the offensive. Shift immediately from the act of conquering to the process of consolidating power and fortifying the newly won position.
  • Grace in Victory: Show a degree of magnanimity toward the defeated. This is not charity; it is shrewd politics. Allowing the enemy an honorable retreat or a degree of self-respect lessens their desire for immediate vengeance and makes future diplomatic relations possible.

By stopping at the appropriate mark, the victor preserves their energy, avoids unnecessary conflict, and, most importantly, prevents the world from perceiving them as an insatiable threat. The perfect victory is one that achieves the objective with the least necessary effort and leaves the victor in a strong, sustainable position.

The 47th Law of Power, as described in Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power, is: “Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop.” This law essentially advises against overextending oneself after achieving a significant success or victory, emphasizing the importance of knowing when to consolidate gains rather than pressing one’s luck and making new enemies.

Applying this law in an ethical manner requires reframing its core principle—strategic restraint—around virtuous and constructive goals, rather than purely self-serving or manipulative ones.Ethical Application of the 47th Law: Strategic Restraint for Sustainable Success

The ethical use of the 47th Law revolves around two main areas: Consolidating Success and Maintaining Moral Integrity.1. Consolidating Success (Knowing When to Stop for Good)

In an ethical context, “stopping” does not mean ceasing all activity, but rather pausing aggressive expansion or self-promotion to ensure long-term stability, foster goodwill, and sustain impact.

  • Focus on Depth, Not Just Breadth: After a major achievement (e.g., launching a successful product, completing a key project, or winning a policy debate), resist the urge to immediately pivot to the next, more ambitious goal. Instead, dedicate resources to perfecting the existing success. This involves improving quality, optimizing processes, training employees, and deepening relationships with existing stakeholders.
    • Ethical Rationale: Ensuring a product or service is truly excellent and sustainable provides greater value to the public and prevents rushed, low-quality efforts that could damage trust.
  • Share the Credit and Cede the Spotlight: A key risk of overextension after victory is becoming arrogant or monopolizing the spotlight. Ethically, a leader should use a victory as an opportunity to elevate others. Acknowledge the team’s contributions, share praise with collaborators, and ensure that those who helped achieve the goal are properly rewarded.
    • Ethical Rationale: Fostering a culture of gratitude and shared success builds a stronger, more loyal team and prevents the leader from becoming an isolating figure of envy.
  • Manage Expectations and Resources: Success can create a dangerous appetite for constant, escalating wins. Ethically, one must be realistic about organizational capacity. Do not commit to unachievable future goals merely to capitalize on current momentum. Use the “stop” period to meticulously audit resources, assess the true cost of success, and plan future initiatives responsibly.
    • Ethical Rationale: Responsible stewardship of resources and avoiding burnout demonstrates respect for employees and stakeholders.

2. Maintaining Moral Integrity (Avoiding the Envy of the Gods)

The original law warns that pressing too far incites envy from others, leading to a backlash. Ethically, this means being mindful of the impact of your success on the wider community and deliberately avoiding actions that cause unnecessary resentment or suffering.

  • Practice Humility and Avoid Triumphalism: Ethical success should not be flaunted in a way that minimizes others. Avoid public gloating, unnecessary displays of wealth, or rhetoric that frames rivals as utterly defeated or incompetent. Maintain a gracious and humble demeanor, even when celebrating.
    • Ethical Rationale: Respect for opponents and maintaining civility fosters a better environment for future collaboration and reduces the motivation for others to actively work toward your downfall.
  • Do Not Exploit a Weakened Competitor: If a victory comes at the expense of a competitor who is now struggling, the ethical application of the 47th Law mandates restraint. Do not use their moment of weakness to deliver a crippling blow or acquire their assets through coercive means. Instead, focus on your own business improvement.
    • Ethical Rationale: Ethical competition allows for the health of the market and community. Crushing a rival unnecessarily can lead to monopolies, job losses, and a poorer outcome for consumers.
  • Define and Honor the “Good Enough” Mark: In the context of ethical self-improvement or social change, know when a goal has been sufficiently achieved. For instance, in an advocacy campaign, reaching a meaningful legislative reform might be the “mark.” Going past the mark might mean demanding extreme, non-negotiable changes that alienate moderate supporters and threaten to overturn the initial, successful reform.
    • Ethical Rationale: Prioritizing pragmatic, achievable, and widely beneficial outcomes over maximalist idealism ensures that ethical progress is durable and widely supported.

In essence, the ethical application of the 47th Law of Power transforms a manipulative rule of self-preservation into a virtuous principle of sustainable, responsible, and shared success. It is a discipline that preserves not just your power, but also your reputation and moral standing.

The 47th Law of Power, Through the Eyes of an Angoleiro

This exploration delves into the seemingly contradictory yet profoundly insightful relationship between Robert Greene’s The 47th Law of Power: Do Not Go Past the Mark You Aimed At; In Victory, Learn When to Stop and the philosophical discipline embodied by Capoeira Angola.

The 47th Law cautions against the intoxicating hubris of an overwhelming victory, advising the powerful to exercise restraint, not push their luck too far, and avoid creating bitter enemies through total annihilation. It is a lesson in strategic self-limitation, reminding us that a continued escalation of dominance can be counterproductive, drawing unwanted attention and galvanizing opposition.

For the Angoleiro—a practitioner of Capoeira Angola—this law resonates deeply within the core principles of their art. Capoeira Angola is not merely a fight; it is a complex, ritualized game (jogo) played within the protective circle of the roda (the ring). The ultimate aim is not to physically destroy an opponent but to achieve dominance through malícia (malice, cunning, and trickery), mandinga (mystical energy, power, and strategy), and superior technical skill, all while maintaining the utmost respect for the tradition and the partner.

The Angoleiro’s Interpretation of the 47th Law:

  • The Mark (O Alvo): In the roda, the “mark” is often not a knockout blow but a strategic moment of control, a perfectly executed rasteira (sweep), or a brilliant escape from a compromising position. The true objective is to win the game, not end the partnership.
  • Victory (A Vitória): A true “victory” in Capoeira Angola is the display of complete control and fluid mastery, a jogo so compelling that it captivates the entire roda. To land a debilitating strike or humiliate a partner publicly goes “past the mark.” Such an action violates the spirit of the jogo, risks inciting genuine violence, and earns the practitioner a reputation for carelessness and lack of malandragem (street smarts/cunning).
  • Learning When to Stop (Saber Parar): The Angoleiro learns that the highest form of power is restraint. After successfully sweeping a partner, the master does not follow up with a crushing kick (cabeçada); instead, they often use a fluid, non-damaging movement to continue the jogo or gracefully back away, allowing the partner to recover and re-enter the dance. This act of grace signals strength, confidence, and respect, ensuring the jogo continues and the community remains harmonious. Pushing a defeated opponent further creates unnecessary inimizade (enmity), which the wise Angoleiro avoids, knowing that in the closed world of the Capoeira community, today’s opponent is tomorrow’s teacher or friend.

The Angoleiro, therefore, practices the 47th Law not as a cynical political maneuver, but as an essential philosophical element of their art, understanding that the pursuit of absolute, total victory is often an act of profound weakness, whereas controlled, measured dominance is the truest manifestation of power.

Is “Big Brother” a myth in china?

While the topic of this video is centered on events and issues within China, and I am neither a Chinese national nor a resident of the country, I feel a detached perspective allows for a purely analytical view. Therefore, I don’t hold any personal or direct stake in the outcomes discussed. Despite this distance, I found the presented content to be genuinely thought-provoking and a compelling look into a significant global entity. I hope that you, too, find the video as insightful and worthy of consideration as I did.

For the past decade or so, the specter of a high-tech Chinese social credit system has loomed large in global discourse. This system, often depicted in sensationalist media reports, describes a government-controlled mechanism that uses ubiquitous surveillance and vast troves of digital data to assign a quantifiable “trustworthiness” score to every citizen and business. This score is then rumored to determine access to everything from fast-track visas and good housing to essential services, employment opportunities, and even the ability to purchase certain goods.

The concept has proven to be incredibly fertile ground for Western science fiction and political commentary. Perhaps the most influential depiction was in the “Nosedive” episode of the acclaimed series Black Mirror, which imagined a near-future world where personal social ratings, issued peer-to-peer and visible to all, dictated social class and opportunity. The episode’s chillingly plausible scenario has since become a near-ubiquitous cultural touchstone, often invoked whenever discussions about data privacy, digital surveillance, and government control arise.

Indeed, every time a Western government, or even a large corporation, attempts to increase its data collection capabilities or implements a new form of digital ID or online behavioral monitoring—be it for public safety, counter-terrorism, or anti-fraud measures—a familiar outcry ensues. Critics immediately raise the alarm, declaring that this is the beginning of a perilous “slippery slope.” This slope, they argue, inevitably leads to a fully realized techno-dystopia: a world where minor infractions, such as jaywalking, failing to pay a fine, or even criticizing the government online, are instantly registered by an algorithm, leading to punitive consequences like being prevented from booking a train ticket, getting a loan, or, in the popular, often-cited extreme example, being blocked from using a simple vending machine.

The critical question that remains, however, often gets lost beneath the wave of sensationalism and cultural panic: Does this monolithic, all-encompassing, AI-powered social credit surveillance system—the one that exists in the minds of Western critics and science fiction writers—actually exist in the People’s Republic of China? The reality is far more complex, nuanced, and less centralized than the popular narrative suggests.

The dominant Western perception paints a picture of a single, unified government supercomputer calculating a citizen’s “social score” in real-time, instantly penalizing dissent or minor infractions. This narrative, while compelling and terrifying, fundamentally misunderstands the patchwork nature of the Chinese system. Instead of a single, master algorithm, China’s “social credit” initiative is better understood as a sprawling ecosystem of hundreds of largely independent, often municipal and provincial, pilot programs.

These programs vary wildly in scope, technology, and implementation. Some focus purely on the financial trustworthiness of businesses (a concept akin to a corporate credit rating), while others target individual behavior, assigning rewards for things like donating blood or volunteering, and applying penalties for issues such as refusing to pay court-ordered fines or repeatedly jaywalking. Crucially, these local systems often do not communicate with each other in the seamless, standardized way the popular discourse imagines. The ambitious goal of a truly national, unified system remains elusive, hampered by bureaucratic silos, regional technological disparities, and disputes over data ownership. To characterize the current state as a fully deployed, singular, Orwellian panopticon overlooks the messy, experimental, and fragmented reality on the ground.

Prof black truth’s Sunday Address

The constant discussions surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) frequently paint a picture of job displacement and an existential threat to the livelihoods of working individuals across various sectors. This pervasive narrative raises a critical question: do these perceived dangers and the looming specter of AI’s societal impact render other pressing social concerns, specifically “black demands,” irrelevant in the grand scheme of political priorities?

The fear of automation and the restructuring of the labor market due to AI are undeniably significant, potentially leading to widespread economic disruption, income inequality, and the need for new social safety nets. Governments and policymakers are grappling with how to adapt education systems, re-skill workforces, and manage the transition to an AI-driven economy.

However, it’s crucial to consider whether these emerging challenges overshadow or fundamentally alter the importance of addressing long-standing issues of racial inequality, systemic discrimination, and the call for justice from marginalized communities, often referred to as “black demands.” These demands typically encompass a range of issues, including police reform, equitable access to education and healthcare, economic empowerment, voting rights, and the dismantling of institutional racism.

The argument could be made that the threat of AI, while global in its potential reach, might disproportionately affect already vulnerable communities, exacerbating existing inequalities. If jobs are lost due to automation, those with less access to education, training, and resources may find it harder to adapt, further widening the economic gap between different racial groups. Conversely, some might argue that focusing solely on AI’s impact without simultaneously addressing racial injustices would be to ignore a fundamental flaw in the societal structure that AI could potentially exploit or exacerbate.

Therefore, the question isn’t necessarily whether AI’s dangers make “black demands” irrelevant, but rather how these two critical issues intersect and how society can address both simultaneously. It calls for a nuanced understanding of how technological advancements can influence and be influenced by existing social structures and power dynamics. The challenge lies in ensuring that the solutions developed for an AI-driven future are equitable and inclusive, actively working to dismantle rather than perpetuate existing disparities, and that the fight for racial justice remains a central pillar of political discourse and action, irrespective of technological shifts.

Shout out to the professor for creating this video.

The Professor’s YouTube channel, accessible HERE, is a vital online platform dedicated to black empowerment. It delves deeply into both historical and contemporary issues affecting the black community, offering a nuanced and comprehensive perspective. The channel’s primary objective is to stimulate critical thought and encourage meaningful dialogue among its diverse viewership.

As an educational resource, the Professor’s channel provides well-researched content that sheds light on various aspects of black history, culture, and social dynamics. It meticulously explores systemic challenges, celebrates achievements, and offers insightful analyses of current events through a lens of black experience. Beyond the dissemination of information, the channel actively cultivates a vibrant and supportive community. Viewers are encouraged to share their personal experiences, fostering a rich environment where individual narratives contribute to a broader understanding. This sharing enriches discussions on a wide range of black topics, from identity and heritage to social justice and economic empowerment, ultimately enhancing cultural awareness and promoting a collective sense of strength and solidarity.