Law of Truth #4 -- Say what is necessary for truth to grow. This one is problematic, since truth is subjective, and most people are so deceived and manipulated by sociopaths that their understanding of truth is poor. Nevertheless, if you are genuine and honest (not a sociopath) and you speak your truth, as you understand it at that moment, you will be setting things in motion to move you and everyone else closer to the truth. Or you may be setting yourself up to be killed, as sociopaths will not be happy with you. Like I said, with sociopaths running around unidentified and unmanaged, this one is problematic.
I have made a decision on my vote. I must agree the "Always" modifier throws Law #4 into the realm of sociopathy. Observance would result in a high percentage of omission based sociopathic acts.
According to my criteria, considering nothing but whether observing the law is a sociopathic act, and not the reasoning behind it, I am, at this time, undecided. I don't agree saying less than necessary, necessarily = and overt act of concealing intentions, This due to the fact intentions are a very small percentage of the topics of most conversations. Saying less than necessary, could, on many occasions, be a kind thing to do. As recently as, umm, today I am sure there are those who would agree in regards to my comments.
Power is the primary ambition of the 48 laws. Seeking power is not necessarily sociopathic in itself (though I don't like the odds of it not being sociopathic). Seeking power through deceptive methods is indeed sociopathic, as a rule. Exceptions include the parent-child dynamic. Given that, Greene fails again with his use of the absolute qualifier, "always". "Always saying less than necessary" is an act of anti-social behavior. IMO ... for it forces the other party to work the bulk of the conversation. Granted, it is okay to say less than necessary every now and then. But to always keep oneself reserved, especially to curry advantage over others, is to meet the day and the world with some measure of personal coronation in mind. That, IMO, is a sociopathic mindset. Empaths, by contrast, greet the day with a kindly face and matching chatter. Empaths are just as comfortable on the grass as on the park bench ... and don't require thrones to hold their posterior cushions. Pax
This is just a variation of the power law #3 about hiding your intentions. The six examples are all just repeating the same thing, namely that an important way of hiding your intentions is to keep your mouth shut. It's basically applying the wartime maxim "Loose lips sink ships" to the sociopaths' war against the rest of us. Silence is a method of probing (called "listening" here) by getting people to talk about themselves. Silence is a mask that hides your intentions. Silence is a valuable practice of secrecy to help hide your true nature. Silence keeps others ignorant of your true nature. Silence makes it less likely that you will expose yourself (as sociopaths tend to do). Silence is a way of hiding your "positions" (read "intentions"). An important side note is that the sociopath's arrogance, superiority complex, and disdain for others often drives him to run his mouth, making it difficult for him to adhere to this "law". Stressful situations, for example if the sociopath is being held accountable for his mischief, can also cause this law to be forgotten. It's real purpose is for maintaining the deception. Once a sociopath's cover is blown, staying silent doesn't help.
I refer to Law4 - #3 as "The Pootative Clause", Zook Please accept my apology. blushy Should have read this one sooner.
