Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash
Robert Greene’s “48 Laws of Power” provides a comprehensive guide to the strategies used by the world’s most influential figures to acquire and maintain power. The 48th Law: “Assume Formlessness,” resonates deeply with the principles of Stoicism, a Hellenistic philosophy that emphasizes the development of personal virtue and wisdom as the path to true happiness.
At the heart of this law is the recognition that adaptability and flexibility are key assets in an ever-changing world. Like water, which assumes the form of any container it fills and retains its essence, the wise individual remains fluid in the face of change. This formlessness is not about being indecisive or without principle. Rather, it represents the capacity to move with the currents of life, not to become overly attached to any single approach, strategy, or ideology.
Stoicism teaches us that we cannot control external events, only our responses. It’s an internal discipline – cultivating a mind unperturbed by external chaos. When we fuse this Stoic insight with Greene’s law, we arrive at a powerful synergy: to maintain power or influence, one must be internally strong and externally adaptable. This balance is crucial. The winds of change blow an adaptable individual without inner strength, while someone strong but inflexible will eventually break under pressure.
Moreover, by assuming formlessness, one becomes difficult to predict or define, thus evading the traps and strategies of adversaries. Formlessness can protect us from those exploiting known weaknesses in the shifting sands of power dynamics.
However, one must practice this principle with discernment. Adopting an attitude of adaptability should never equate to a loss of core values or moral direction. Instead, it means understanding when to be steadfast and when to flow, discerning which battles to fight and which to sidestep.
Greene’s 48th Law captures an essential Stoic teaching: the power that comes from mastering oneself and moving adeptly within the world. In a landscape of unpredictability, the individual who embodies inner control and outer flexibility not only survives but thrives.