Robert Greene’s “48 Laws” are very repulsive
to me. He is not seeking to be a good communicator through these laws but to
simply play his cards right and gear the noise and environment to get his
agenda across. His laws have dangerous implications because they teach how to
cleverly put a facade on in one’s communication. The goal of being ethical and
moral in interpersonal communication is to be real and sincere with people, to
treat them as you would want to be treated. For the sake of space, I will only
address two of Greene’s laws: 3 and 32.
Law 3 says “conceal your intentions.”
Greene proposes that by concealing your true intentions you can keep others
constantly guessing what you are up to and thus keep them from building any
good defenses against you. I disagree with this law because it is immoral and
unethical to simply try to keep people beating around the bush so they cannot
respond to what you are truly saying. In my life, I have struggled with one
individual who was my leader because he always seemed to conceal his true
intentions and not really lead the group. He was in an important position that
was supposed to involve teaching and mentoring, but he did not even appear to
try. He would shift directions so fast that people of all ages got frustrated.
He was “the leader” but did not really have any followers because of his
mysteriousness.
Law 32 says “play to people’s fantasies.”
Greene continues to explain this law as one that avoids truth because people
view it as “ugly and unpleasant.” Instead, he encourages that one should cater
to people’s passions and dreams to gain a large following. This one is simply
evil. Deny truth to win a following! Truth is essential. Without truth, there
will be no freedom, growth, or lasting results. Jesus said that He was “the
way, the TRUTH, and the life” (John 14:6, KJV). In addition, Jesus taught that “If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free”
(John 8:31-32, KJV). It may seem foolish, it may seem crazy, but Jesus Christ
changes people. When a person truly comes to Him and becomes His disciple, then
he will be transformed by Jesus—the Truth—and he will be truly free. Many men
and women have been freed from the chains of a past filled with crime, drugs,
and abuse because of Jesus Christ. It may seem foolish that people find freedom
in someone that lived 2,000 years ago, but it is true. In prison rehabilitation
programs, Bible-based programs continue to have the largest success rate. Why?
Because there is such a thing as truth and its foundation is Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:10-14). Jesus did not lie to people. He taught
truth and many times was even very blunt. His following was not build by
manipulation, but by communicating honestly and sincerely. Any following that
is built by deceptive practices is inherently evil. And just because a
communicator deals honestly and sincerely with his audience does not mean that
his message is true; however, it does mean that he has ethically “built” his
following.
