4# - ONE MIN BOOK SUMMARY - The 48 laws of Power (Robert Greene)- Law 2: Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies !

Why ?

Because friends can easily be prone to envy, and you don't suspect that because they have your trust so be wary of them and their capacity for betrayal. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, however; always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbance such as envy and ingratitude. Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.

But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.

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Michael III of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-ninth century A.D. placed too much trust in his friend,Basilius. They had met a few years before, when Michael had been visiting the stables just as a wild horse got loose. Basilius saved Michael's life. His strength and courage had impressed Michael, who immediately raised Basilius from the obscurity of being a horse trainer to the position of head of stables. He loaded his friend with gifts and favors until became inseparable. Basilius was sent to the finest school in Byzantium, and the crude peasant became a cultured and sophisticated courtier. Michael turned the peasant Basilius into a sophisticated and educated courtier.

Basilius later on became greedy for more wealth and power and had his former benefactor and best friend Michael III murdered.

Michael III staked his future on the sense of gratitude he thought Basilius must feel for him. He had created a monster. He had allowed a man to see power up close—a man who then wanted more, who asked for anything and got it, who felt encumbered by the charity he had received and simply did what many people do in such a situation:

They forget the favors they have received and imagine they have earned their success by their own merits.

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