The 48 Laws of Power in Practice

Law 48: Assume Formlessness

Stay comfortable with change; be highly adaptable. Be formless so that no one can predetermine your plans or what you are about.

Application –

It's dangerous to think that the way the world is now will last forever. Many technologies have come and gone, forcing workers to develop new skills or become obsolete. Funny enough, you can charge more money if you are specialized in a lost skill, such as being a watchmaker aka horologist. But most people should pay attention to the trends of their industry and make a plan for future job prospects. A prediction is that certain jobs will no longer exist by 2030, which include travel agents, fast food cooks, cashiers, and taxi drivers.

Another way this law applies is when people solidify their identities. As the former US president, Donald Trump had a lot of support for his outlandish ideas. He was against immigration and wanted to put up a border wall between the US and Mexico. He prioritized big business over the environment and publicly supported conspiracy theories such as QAnon. 

Many Republican politicians who parroted his opinions became known as "Trump Republicans." After he lost re-election in 2020, Trump and his supporters claimed that the election was "stolen". This arguably led Trump supporters to violently storm the capitol building on January 6th, 2020 in an attempt to overturn the results.

In 2022, you can see that being a "Trump Republican" is falling out of favor. During the primary elections this year, a lot of politicians lost their races by being associated with Trump. There were a lot more republicans running for office that purposely separated themselves from Trump, who did better. 

This goes to show that when you are a staunch supporter of someone who falls out of favor, you tend to fall out of favor as well. When you are associated with a bigger movement, you may be able to ride the wave, but if you don't get off in time, you'll come crashing down with it as well.

You're Either In...Or You're out –

I have a great deal of respect for the older people in my life and am often amazed by their experiences and what they've achieved. But people adapt differently to the times. By observing others, I hope to learn ways to embrace change and stay relevant. We are all aging, and the stoicism philosophy on aging is to accept it and turn it into a positive experience.

Here is what I'll be planning. (I'd love to hear other tips you may have to add. Please leave a comment if you do!) 

Dress with the times, but age appropriate. Dressing younger may seem like a way to stay relevant, but it actually ages you. If you like to stay on top of trends and have the money to buy the subdued age-appropriate versions, then by all means. Otherwise, invest in classic pieces that never go out of style in neutral colors that you know are flattering. I will gradually wear more black.

Continue to learn. Scientific breakthroughs are ongoing. Some of the things we are taught in school get disproven with later discoveries. For example, movies like Jurassic Park portrayed dinosaurs as large lizards. But in 2014, new fossils discovered in China and Siberia suggest that they had feathers. Last Thanksgiving, I was arguing with a family member about renewable energy. They were adamant it would never replace fossil fuels because it was much more expensive to produce. I couldn't stop thinking about how it must have been a similar conversation when the first commercial car or computer came out. Well, guess what, solar is now less expensive to produce than coal. What you know informs how you think, and you should base it on current knowledge.

Stay up to date with technology. I had planned a wedding and needed to get the details out to everyone in the most expedient way. I had invites, a wedding website, emails, and text reminders. But for some people, the only reliable way to communicate is still over a phone call. Sometimes when I tried texting, I'd get back responses that made no sense. Imagine if someone did not go out of their way to explain all the details to you on the phone and give you the spellings of the places to meet. You'd miss out on a lot of events.

Create purpose. After my mom retired, she could not stop giving me unsolicited advice. After getting the update on how she is doing, I would cut the conversation short. People need to have a purpose, and ways to share their knowledge. And when they give up their main role, such as their job, or when their kids go away to college, they may find themselves without a purpose. Rather than taking it out on loved ones, I plan to continue writing and keeping my side projects, so I can stay engaged.

Engage with younger generations. A lot of older people talk about younger generations as if they've lost their way. But in truth, there's a lot we can learn from young people. While the majority of people get their news from social media, a lot of people take things they see as fact and develop misled beliefs. It's the younger generation that knows how to navigate fake news, and tell

Listen to new music. This seems like an easy one, but studies show most people continue to listen to the music they liked in high school through college. My stepdad is a total musicophile. During a long ride, we played music from all different eras and I loved learning about artists who influence a lot of the music made today. But he doesn't just know iconic bands, he can give me the highlights of the Coachella lineup every year. This is great because the performances overlap, so you have to pick and choose what to watch. It's no wonder that he's one of the most relevant people I know.