If you’ve read The 48 Laws of Power, you will know how Napoleon was baited by Lord Talleyrand to invade France. This invasion ultimately failed and led to Napoleon's ostracism to the barren island of Elba. A monumental moment in European history and geopolitics. One man, Lord Talleyrand, set forth the actions of the European states to accomplish this. He was the puppeteer, he pulled the strings, and he ultimately brought Europe to peace. Yet he is rarely if at all discussed in history courses. I didn’t hear his name mentioned in my high school history class. Amazing, such a momentous event in European history, and the only mention of Lord Talleyrand that exists today is in The 48 Laws of Power. This is because as a puppeteer of power, a master manipulator, he deliberately didn't take credit in order to get what he wanted. He continued to live in the shadows, making the calls, and bringing the powerful forces of Europe to a peaceful resolution.

A basic guide to becoming a puppeteer (aka how manipulate others)

Manipulation. What a nasty word, right? Yet the first definition on Google for manipulate is “handle or control (a tool, mechanism, etc.), typically in a skillful manner.” This is the definition we will be using in this post. A puppeteer is a master manipulator, or someone who influences others both directly and indirectly.

  1. The puppeteer resists the urge to take credit. As seen in the example in The 48 Laws of Power, the puppeteer, Lord Tallyrand, did not step forth and claim credit for this astounding turn of events. Rather he watched, as his actions compounded into a masterful conclusion. For by taking credit, you risk achieving a reputation as a manipulator, and no one likes to be manipulated. You will repel people and no one will follow through with your plans. Better to not take bask in the glory of your victory and instead stay in the shadows, enjoying the fruits of your manipulation in private.

  2. Women are the ultimate puppeteers. It is up to you to train yourself to identify the patterns and develop some practices for yourself. The biggest manipulation women have is withholding sex. Once you get over your physical urges and display to her that you can walk away from her sexual manipulations, then will you trump her power plays. The puppeteer is above addiction, and is above the lure of sex. In order to be above sex, you should have abundance mentality. Not just abundance of women in your life, but an abundance of activities in your life. Pursuing multiple passions, multiple jobs, and multiple endeavors. Always being busy, working toward bettering yourself and your community.

  3. The puppeteer has to have a ridiculous, insane amount of patience. Usually your plans don’t hatch for days, months, even years (if you are in a long term relationship). When you are texting a woman, after you set plans, go radio silent on her. Better to be silent and retain an air of mystery than to open your mouth, say something stupid, and watch as your plans unravel. When in victory, know to stop.

  4. The puppeteer has multiple puppets going with each hand. Have multiple women. Do NOT focus. If one puppet fails to produce dividends, the puppeteer has another puppet in the other hand to go on. Similarly, you should be spinning multiple plates at the same time. The paradox of seduction is that the more you diversify and the less you focus, the better your outcomes will be. Have the ability to walk away and to see the bigger picture. This is what leads to the evolution of success in life and in seduction.

  5. The puppeteer hides his true face with many masks. There is power in being able to never be defined. The moment a woman thinks she knows you or can predict you, then all seduction is lost. It is only natural for us to tire and get bored of what we think we have figured out. For me, I vacillate between writing jokes and motivational one liners on Facebook, thus creating a brand and an image for myself that is fluid, never fixed. I study science as well as humanities. I craft posts about loving yourself on my personal blog meanwhile writing this post on manipulation for The Red Pill. Even within The Red Pill, I have posts lined up lauding and lambasting the community. I’m constantly redefining myself, never settling on one identity.

  6. The puppeteer keeps his puppets taught on the string. Cat String Theory: the cat doesn't chase what it has, nor what is too far away, rather the cat chases what is just barely out of its reach. Similarly, the woman doesn't want what is served to her on a silver platter, nor does she delude and feed her insecurities by chasing what cannot be attained. What she goes crazy for is the man who is just out of her reach, who is not markedly better than her yet is still a catch, a prize. It is when we don't text a woman back immediately do we convey to her that the chase is on, that she is going to have to work for our affection. We must feed the illusion that it is always possible to secure us if she just puts in one more unit of effort. Little does she know that that day will never come, and that it is the chase that excites her, not the destination.

Conclusion

Be the puppeteer, not the puppet. And most of all, beware that the master puppeteers are the ones that live in the shadows and resist the urge to take credit or put a face to their work and their crafitness. By taking a form you risk gaining a reputation as a manipulator, and that will lead to your demise and ostracism. Rather let your accomplishments do the talking. To acquire power, to acquire a woman, one must always be shifting, adapting, and altering his image, never giving his enemies a target to aim at. For once we think we have someone figured out do we start to disdain them. It's only natural. Never indulge in one image too far, live in the shadows, with multiple puppets in each hand, keeping the string that connects the two of you taught. Just like the puppet and the puppeteer.