Thread by @startupdaemon

13 RULES FOR RADICALS

These principles can be applied in any public context – as long as you have 2 people in the same room, you can use them to gain power.

Awareness of these principles is first and foremost about protecting yourself from being sucked into someone else’s game.

If you want to thrive amidst the collapse of the dead culture, you have to be Aware how technology and propaganda are fused together to move the lo-awarenes mass.

Master mass manipulation and become Aware of it in the moment, then turn it to your advantage.

Anyone who works in sales, marketing or PR should understand these principles on a deep level. So should anyone who uses social media.

The principles can be used for political disruption, but also for dealing with Internet trolls and people with shoddy business practices.

Politics is epiphenomenal.

Politics is downstream of culture.

Culture is downstream of technology.

The pyramid of social control is this simple.

Technology is downstream of people with persuasive power. They can influence how technology is used and which way it goes next.

𝟭. 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲.

Power is derived from two main sources – money and people.

Money has power only because of people; actually people are the only source of power.

If you don’t have money, you have to go to the real source: people.

Email and social media make this more feasible than ever before.

In your personal life, people’s perceptions of your power are entirely driven by your comport.

The way you stand, walk and behave speaks to them, as they can’t peek into your bank account. Most are too busy fidgeting with their dumbphones to pay attention anyway.

Perception is reality.

More perception is more reality.

𝟮. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.

When you engage with people publicly, aim to bring them onto your own turf. The result is confusion, fear and retreat.

Versions of this rule go back at least to Sun Zi.

To keep people on side and draw them in, you must introduce new information gradually and in the context of something familiar.

Especially if you want to take them in a completely different direction.

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁.

This is very hard for many people to understand, so pay close attention. It’s not just “do the opposite” to the previous rule.

Attacking people's stated beliefs and objectives only highlights their identity. It’s like adding a roadside billboard and a bright neon sign to a seedy motel you want closed. You only give it more power.

Don’t try to convince that your opponent is wrong. Change the subject.

𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀.

To fight the power, you don’t rebel.

Embrace the status quo’s rules with zealous fervour. Shove them so deep down the throat of your opponents that they choke on their own cooking.

Understand this, and understand it well.

Everybody is a hypocrite.

That's one anyone with a weak ego can be defeated on one's own ego turf.

𝟱. 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲 (𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀).

Ridicule has the added benefit of infuriating your opponent, who then reacts to your advantage. It's very hard to counteract.

Ridicule the rules by endorsing them, but also in such a way as to force the target to go into an extreme of one's own rules.

The power of mockery is quintupled when you play on the opponent's turf. It's a great way to punish aggressive parasites.

Social is a prime example.

The worst trolls online and off are so used to people rolling over that they freeze when you give them the feint.

𝟲. 𝗔 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂(𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲) 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆.

If your people are not having a ball doing it, there’s something wrong with what you’re doing. This applies to you personally before anyone else.

Get everyone ensavaged.

In any movement or organization, it’s the grassroots that feel the wind of change first.

If the mood is souring, that’s a signal that your product's going stale or your management practices are falling behind what your mission requires.

Distinguish between the resistance to doing something new and a funny feeling after you’ve done something.

Are you genuinely “having a bad feeling” or are you just being lazy?

Practise discernment and know the difference.

𝟳. 𝗔 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴.

Attention spans are at rock bottom. This applies to your own, whether you want to admit it or not.

Keep an eye out for what you’re NOT doing but could be. Maybe it’s time to change lanes.

If what you do day to day is nearly identical, you’re probably missing something: about your personal development, your family, your business or your sanity.

Then you wake up one day and realize that the world has moved on.

Check yourself and pay attention to your own energy.

𝟴. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽.

Always be moving, always be closing, always have your eyes on the prize.

Momentum wins the day.

Momentum doesn’t mean progress, it means sustained pressure.

You’re pressing on even when you’re not pressing on.

Inability to manage momentum is why most people end up having small lives and failing in the pursuit of Excellence.

Momentum requires that you keep pressing on even in the worst of times, not because you'll achieve anything extra but because you won't lose the momentum itself.

𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Don’t be intimidated. Your enemies are cowards.

This is a statistical fact.

(There's no such thing as statistical facts.)

Cultivate an intimidating presence to discourage people from standing in your way and encourage allies to be confident.

Remember Machiavelli: “it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting”.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆.

If you want to lead a group of people, build a business or defeat a bad habit or character flaw, make your action sustainable.

To make success inevitable, you should be able to keep doing sustainably what is necessary to make progress.

This is less about skill than it is about design.

Single out a clear opponent – preferably someone dull and reactive – and let the opponent’s reaction feed your action.

𝟭𝟭. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲.

When a character “flaw” or something the mass of people disapprove of becomes public, endorse it with open arms.

Authenticity is the ultimate trump card.

I could be wrong, but I am not.

Don’t worry about it.

Denial only emphasizes and exposes your flaws.

“The weak shows its strength and hides its weaknesses; the magnificent exhibits its weaknesses like ornaments.”

𝟭𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵.

Every attack you make exposes you strategically because consequences have consequences.

That's why it's so important to know who you're dealing with.

Your attacks can make your opponents stronger just like rampant antibiotic use has helped resistant strains of bacteria proliferate.

If you criticize someone for a character flaw or bad deed, they may come back with a genuine solution that makes you look bad and them good.

If you fixate too much on your own flaws, you may end up solidifying them by making them an ingrained part of your self-image.

The more time you try and fail to root out a character flaw, the more stubborn it reappears.

13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it.

People who operate in the public realm usually have a lot of experience, supporters and technology on side.

It’s difficult to pin them down and isolate them, which only makes it much more valuable.

Shortened attention spans make it easy to sweep under the rug even the worst offences.

Use triggering and play to the opponent's flaws to make them stick out of the noise.

If you’re dealing with a character flaw, you want to make sure it’s front and centre in your life.

Make your own shortcomings sticks out at you as an enemy so they are difficult to ignore.

If you’re fat, single that out as the source of all your problems.

Buy a big mirror and a scale, then measure your lard every day to force yourself into discipline and improvement.

Go cephalophoric on the enemy.

The 13 rules come from Saul Alinsky’s "Rules for Radicals".

First published in 1971, the book aimed to enable movements without political and financial power to shake out the entrenched “elites”.

Since then, political operatives of all stripes have adopted his rules as gospel.

If you enjoyed this thread, you should check out my daily newsletter.

It's not for the faint-hearted.

Read the reviews before you sign up.

startupdaemon.net