Law 16: Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Law 16: Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Introduction

The 16th law of power in Robert Greene's book *The 48 Laws of Power* is "Use absence to increase respect and honor." This law states that the more present you are, the more common you appear. By creating an air of scarcity around yourself, you can increase your perceived value and make people more interested in you.

The Principle of Absence

The principle of absence is based on the idea that people value things that are rare or hard to get. When you are always around, people take you for granted. They become desensitized to your presence and your value decreases. However, if you make yourself scarce, people will start to wonder about you. They will talk about you and speculate about your whereabouts. This will increase their interest in you and make you seem more valuable.

The Benefits of Absence

There are several benefits to using absence to increase respect and honor. First, it can make you seem more mysterious and intriguing. When people don't know much about you, they are more likely to be curious about you. This can give you an advantage in social situations and business negotiations.

Second, absence can make you seem more powerful. When you are not always around, people start to think that you are busy and important. This can increase their respect for you and make them more likely to defer to your authority.

Third, absence can help you to avoid becoming too familiar. When you are around people all the time, they start to get used to you. This can make it difficult to maintain their interest and respect. By making yourself scarce, you can keep people guessing and interested in you.

How to Use Absence Effectively

There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to use absence effectively. First, you need to be selective about when you disappear. You don't want to disappear so often that people start to forget about you. Instead, you should only disappear when it will have the greatest impact.

Second, you need to make sure that your absence is meaningful. If you just disappear without explanation, people will start to think that you are unreliable or unimportant. Instead, you should give people a reason to miss you. You could do this by leaving them with a mystery or by setting a challenge for them to solve.

Finally, you need to be prepared to come back. When you do come back, you need to make a big entrance. You should do something that will make people take notice of you and remember your absence.

Conclusion

The 16th law of power is a powerful tool that can be used to increase your respect and honor. By creating an air of scarcity around yourself, you can make people more interested in you and more likely to defer to your authority. However, it is important to use absence effectively. You need to be selective about when you disappear and you need to make sure that your absence is meaningful. If you do these things, you can use absence to your advantage and become more powerful and influential.

Examples of the Law in Action

There are many examples of the 16th law of power in action. One example is the case of Steve Jobs. Jobs was a master of using absence to his advantage. He would often disappear for weeks or months at a time, only to reappear with a new product or strategy. This made him seem mysterious and intriguing, and it also made people more likely to defer to his authority.

Another example is the case of Muhammad Ali. Ali was a master of self-promotion, and he used absence to his advantage on several occasions. For example, before his fight with George Foreman in Zaire, Ali disappeared for several weeks. This created a lot of buzz and anticipation, and it also made Ali seem more mysterious and powerful.

How to Apply the Law in Your Own Life

The 16th law of power can be applied to your own life in many ways. Here are a few tips:

Be selective about when you disappear. Don't disappear so often that people start to forget about you. Instead, only disappear when it will have the greatest impact.

Make sure that your absence is meaningful. Leave people with a mystery or set a challenge for them to solve.

Be prepared to come back. When you do come back, make a big entrance. Do something that will make people take notice of you and remember your absence.

By following these tips, you can use the 16th law of power to increase your respect and honor. You will become more mysterious, intriguing, and powerful.