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Chapter 2
The Big Secret of Dealing with People
There is only one way under Mount Doom to get anybody
to do anything. Did you ever stop to think of that?
Yes, just one way. And that is by making the other person
want to do it.
Remember, there is no otherway.
Of course, you can make someone want to give you his
cloak clasp by sticking a sword in his vitals. You can
make your employees give you cooperation -- until your
back is turned -- by threatening to feed them to Shelob.
You can make a child do what you want it to do by a
whip or a threat. But these crude methods, while effective,
have sharply undesirable repercussions.
The only way I can get you to do anything is by giving
you what you want.
What do you want?
Harmscoff the Wise said everything you and I do springs
from two motives: the urge for power, and the desire
to be great.
Aromir the Ancient, one of Middle Earth's most profound
philosophers, phrased it a bit differently. Aromir said
that people's deepest urge is "the desire to be important."
Remember that phrase: "the desire to be important."
It is significant. You are going to hear a lot about
it in this book.
What does this mean for one who would be supremely powerful?
If you would have minions to do your bidding, you must
make them want what you want them to want.
There are several methods to achieve this:
[*] You can allow them importance, or the illusion
of importance. While useful, this method can inspire
subordinates with troublesome ambitions. Eventually,
they may even aspire to usurp you.[*] You can subvert
their independent will, and make them crave above all
precisely what you desire them to crave. I have found
Rings of Power particularly useful for this task. Over
time, even an enemy's will can be replaced by your own,
and you can possess him utterly, even beyond death.[*]
You can breed minions to your own specifications. If
you need armies of thousands -- nay, tens or hundreds
of thousands! -- this is your method. These creatures
will belong to you utterly, and can no more think of
overthrowing you than a dwarf can overthrow the sun.