PDF Summary:The 50th Law, by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

In The 50th Law, rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) and author Robert Greene argue that the biggest factor holding us back in life is fear—of what others think of us, what we’ll lose, the future, and so on. This natural fearfulness developed to help us survive in ancient times, but in modern times, we rarely face life-threatening situations where it’s warranted. As a result, our fearfulness only holds us back from gaining power and success. Jackson and Greene argue that you must become fearless to truly thrive.

In this guide, we’ll start by explaining how Jackson’s fearlessness helped him overcome his hardships and achieve power and success. Next, we’ll discuss the rules Jackson and Greene say are necessary to follow to become fearless and principles that’ll help you follow each one. In our commentary, we’ll supplement Jackson and Greene’s advice with recommendations from other experts on success, like Daniel Walter (The Power of Discipline). We’ll also compare the ideas in this book to those in some of Greene’s previous works, including The 48 Laws of Power.

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(Shortform note: While Jackson and Greene recommend paying close attention to your superiors to learn from them, they don’t get specific on exactly how to do so. Experts provide a few recommendations that may increase the amount you learn from your superiors. First, ask to shadow your superior to get a closer perspective on their skills and day-to-day activities. Further, each day, pay close attention to your superior’s mistakes—so you can learn from them—and the factors that lead to their success—so you can emulate them.)

Principle #2: Start Small

The authors say that once you have an idea of how to manage things on your own, start carving out small pockets of autonomy where you can practice self-sufficiency. For example, use the methods you learned from your supervisor to start making important decisions independently, without having to ask others for approval.

(Shortform note: In Tiny Habits, BJ Fogg reiterates that starting small is crucial to successfully implementing any new habit or behavior, including self-sufficiency. He also explains why this is the case: First, small habits and tasks are easier to accomplish. Accomplishing a task triggers positive emotions that will motivate you to continue working toward your larger goal. Further, tiny habits are simple and don’t require a large amount of willpower or focus, making them easier to start in the first place.)

Principle #3: Be Entirely Authentic

In the process of becoming self-sufficient, be sure to remain true to who you are, not who others are or who they want you to be. Ensure that your decisions and actions align with your goals and principles. Jackson and Greene argue that everyone is unique, and being authentic will help you become someone or create something the world has never seen before. You’ll reach your full potential, and this will lead to success.

(Shortform note: Jackson and Greene frame being authentic as something to do to ensure your success. However, authenticity arguably has a much more important benefit: It boosts your self-worth. In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown explains that authenticity is a crucial component of worthiness: having high self-esteem and feeling deserving of good things. Worthiness may, in turn, have the happy side-effect of success: Without it, you might not have the self-belief necessary to accomplish your goals. We’ll discuss the link between self-belief and fearlessness in more detail in Rule #5: Become an Inspiring Leader.)

Rule #3: Embrace Change and Maintain Forward Motion

Third, Jackson and Greene argue that to achieve fearlessness, maintain forward motion by being open to change and learning new things. When moving toward a goal, unexpected situations will always arise. The only way to overcome these situations and maintain forward motion is to learn, adapt, and stay committed to your goal. If you resist change, try to accomplish your goals the “quick” way, or avoid learning everything you can about your craft, you’ll only end up slowing yourself down.

Many people struggle to maintain consistent forward motion for two reasons. First, they have set beliefs about how things are supposed to be. When a situation arises that they didn’t expect, they get flustered and don’t know how to react, slowing down their progress. However, if you embrace unexpected situations and adapt to handle them, not only will you maintain your momentum toward your goal, but you’ll also add skills to your repertoire and achieve success faster than those who resist change.

(Shortform note: Experts note that people tend to set expectations to maintain control and avoid uncertainty, and these experts reiterate that it’s natural to get stumped when things don’t go as planned. However, they add that we can avoid becoming overwhelmed in the face of unexpected events by implementing a few strategies. For example, try to be flexible when things don’t go as planned. Consider whether you can accommodate or cope with the change and how it might benefit you—even if it’s not what you originally wanted. Alternatively, if the change is distressing and you feel unable to cope, seek support from loved ones or a therapist.)

Second, people struggle to maintain momentum because they want fast results and look for shortcuts that don’t exist. Jackson and Greene argue that to reach your goals and maintain your success, you must become a true expert in your discipline. There’s no fast way to do this: You must dedicate time and effort to your goals to succeed, and taking shortcuts will only sabotage you in the end.

(Shortform note: Jackson and Greene argue that there are no shortcuts to gaining expertise—you need to dedicate time and effort to achieve true success in your desired discipline. However, they don’t specify how much time and effort this requires. Some experts claim that it takes at least 10 years to achieve expertise in a discipline. Further, you must spend this time engaging in deliberate practice to actually progress toward expertise. Deliberate practice requires you to regularly do things that are above your current level of competence and push yourself outside of your comfort zone—we’ll discuss this concept further a little later.)

Jackson and Greene present five principles to help you embrace change and learning to maintain forward motion:

Principle #1: Accumulate a Wide Range of Knowledge

Rather than only focusing on your main area of interest, constantly learn about new topics and fields of knowledge. According to Jackson and Greene, this will help you change directions if unexpected situations arise. For example, imagine that you’ve bought a house to renovate and resell, but the housing market just crashed. In most cases, you’d consider yourself doomed. However, with a broad range of knowledge, you might know that the art scene is booming right now, so you could convert the house into an art studio for people to rent.

(Shortform note: In Building a Second Brain, Tiago Forte agrees that accumulating a wide range of knowledge is integral to success in the modern age. However, he explains that our brains aren’t equipped to store all of the important knowledge we need. He recommends creating a digital, external storage system that makes it easy to store and recall every important piece of information you encounter.)

Principle #2: Don’t Hold On to Negative Emotions

People tend to wallow in negative emotions. However, this makes the bad feelings stick around for longer and eventually decreases your motivation and momentum. Instead, Jackson and Greene say to let negative emotions wash over you, and find a way to evoke the opposite emotion instead. For example, if you’re feeling anxious, force yourself to act confidently. If you’re feeling lonely, call someone that makes you feel loved.

(Shortform note: Experts agree not to dwell on negative emotions. However, quickly replacing your emotion and moving on, as Jackson and Greene recommend, might cause you to ignore your emotions entirely and make the situation worse: Unaddressed emotions may recur until you address them. To avoid this outcome, some experts advise analyzing your emotions using the “Siberian North Rail Road” (SBNRR) technique. First, Stop: Pause what you’re doing before you spiral. Second, Breathe: This will clear your mind. Third, Notice your feelings: What emotions are you experiencing? Are they changing? Fourth, Reflect: What’s causing your emotions? Are they an appropriate response to what’s happened? Fifth, Respond: Think of the kindest, most compassionate response to yourself and anyone else involved.)

Principle #3: Focus on the Small Details Over the Big Picture

To further ensure consistent forward momentum, Jackson and Greene recommend focusing on the small elements that success requires—skills, knowledge, completed tasks, and so on—rather than overlooking them and solely focusing on your end goal. Focusing on the big picture might allow you to achieve your goal, but your success will likely be short-lived as you don’t have the skills and knowledge to sustain yourself.

(Shortform note: In The Power of Discipline, Daniel Walter reiterates the importance of focusing on small details like daily tasks and subgoals that are necessary to success. He adds that focusing on a big lofty goal without identifying the stepping stones needed to achieve it can often lead to inaction. To help identify these crucial smaller details, Walter advises creating very clear, specific goals—this makes it easier to identify the smaller steps you must take to achieve them. Then, identify how you can break these smaller steps down into even smaller daily actions so that every day, you’re making progress toward your goal.)

Principle #4: Start Doing Things and Embracing Failure

Jackson and Greene argue that you must try new things and fail along the way to make true progress toward your goals. Many people struggle to do this because they fear failure. However, becoming successful requires you to master new skills that your current self isn’t yet a master at—if you avoid practicing these skills because you fear failure, you’ll never make progress. Jackson and Greene note that the more you try and fail, the more you learn and the faster you improve.

(Shortform note: In The Power of Discipline, Daniel Walter agrees that forcing yourself to take action and step outside of your comfort zone is crucial to achieving your goals. However, doing so can be extremely hard if you’re not used to the feeling of being uncomfortable. To increase your confidence and ability to step outside of your comfort zone, Walter recommends putting yourself in uncomfortable situations on a daily basis—you don’t necessarily have to do something big and risky, just something small that familiarizes you with feeling uncomfortable. For example, if you have a fear of public speaking, ask your friends if you can read a poem for them.)

Principle #5: Pay Attention to and Accept Social Change

Finally, to maintain forward motion, you must be open to change—Jackson and Greene argue that this means keeping tabs on social change so you can adjust yourself to meet the wants and needs of the people. Many powerful players fail at maintaining success because they do the opposite—they try to convince stakeholders like customers or supporters that their idea is still valuable or important. This is often ineffective because you can’t always convince people that your perspective is sound. However, if you simply mirror what people want, you won’t ever have to convince them to support you: They naturally will.

(Shortform note: In Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson take a different perspective on balancing stakeholder wants and needs with your ideas. Instead of monitoring the public’s views so you can change your ideas to meet their needs as Jackson and Greene recommend, Fried and Hansson argue that you should create timeless concepts from the start. In doing so, your business idea will never go out of style: You won't have to waste time and energy trying to predict trends and constantly changing your concepts.)

Rule #4: Show Your Teeth When Necessary

Fourth, Jackson and Greene argue that to be fearless, you must show your teeth—be aggressive when aggression is needed. Otherwise, people will underestimate or take advantage of you.

Many people struggle to follow this rule because they want to be liked and accepted by others, so they’re passive and avoid confrontation. However, Jackson and Greene believe that confrontation is crucial to progressing toward any goal. If you don’t confront your competition and people who are sabotaging you, you’ll never gain power and success—there’ll always be someone or something holding you back.

(Shortform note: Greene first explored the concept of using aggression to gain power in The 48 Laws of Power. While Greene and Jackson heavily emphasize being fiercely and dramatically aggressive in The 50th Law, in 48 Laws, Greene discusses a crucial caveat to this rule: If you rely too heavily on aggression, you’ll likely end up weakening rather than strengthening your power by tiring yourself out and creating numerous enemies on all fronts. To avoid this outcome, keep your emotions (and aggression) contained while luring your enemy to attack first. You’ll reserve your energy while they deplete theirs, and you won’t create unnecessary enemies.)

Jackson and Greene present three principles to help you confront problematic, aggressive situations.

Principle #1: Respond to Outward Aggression by Acting Cool

If someone is being outwardly aggressive, act cool. Don’t return outward aggression with outward aggression of your own—you might overcome your competition, but you’ll look just as bad as them in the process. Instead, remain calm and plant obstacles in the other person’s way that will increase their aggression. Then, you can either expose their aggression to the public or wait until they sabotage themselves.

(Shortform note: While Jackon and Greene’s recommendation might be an effective tactic to gain power over the other person, it can arguably cause more harm than good. First, psychologists explicitly warn not to escalate difficult situations (for example, by planting obstacles that will increase the other person’s anger) because the other person might lash out and harm you or others. Further, while causing an aggressive person to self-destruct might benefit you, it arguably lacks compassion. It could also mentally and emotionally devastate someone who has uncontrollable, underlying issues: Issues such as pathological anger, PTSD, brain trauma, and life crises often trigger aggression.)

Principle #2: Respond to Passive Aggression by Increasing Your Power

If someone is passive-aggressive, increase your power over them to scare them away. The best way to do this, according to Jackson and Greene, is to make powerful allies that this person respects or fears. If they see you as an authority (or adjacent to an authority), they’ll be less likely to try and mess with you. In contrast, if you try to confront this person, they’ll likely gaslight you into thinking you’ve invented or created the problem yourself.

(Shortform note: While Jackson and Greene recommend responding to passive aggressors by increasing your power over them, they don’t provide specific advice on how to identify passive-aggressive behavior in the first place. Experts explain that someone might be a passive aggressor when they do things like intentionally leave you out in social situations, behave as if something minor harmed them greatly, or purposefully bring up topics they know upset you.)

Principle #3: Respond to Injustice With Bold Aggression or Undercover Manipulation

If someone is acting unjustly toward you, either act with bold aggression or undercover manipulation. According to Jackson and Greene, acting with bold aggression will make you look like the righteous party to many, but it’s also likely to attract haters. If you want to be viewed as universally just, you’ll have to be manipulative in turning the tides—say whatever you must to gain supporters, and engineer situations that will expose the opposing party’s injustice.

(Shortform note: Psychologists warn that retaliating against perceived ''unfairness” (by doing things like acting aggressively or being manipulative) might have negative repercussions. They suggest that before deciding whether you should act against the other person, you should consider whether the other person actually did something wrong—while they might have acted out according to the rules of your beliefs and background, their actions might have been innocent from their or others’ perspectives. In this case, acting against them might paint you as the unjust person and decrease your power rather than strengthen it.)

Rule #5: Become an Inspiring Leader

Fifth, Jackson and Greene argue that fearlessness involves becoming an inspiring leader—someone who both you and others believe in. First, believe in yourself intensely to the point where failure is not an option—you’re convinced that you’ll succeed. Doing this is crucial because you can only achieve what you think you can achieve.

Once you have this intense belief in yourself, share your dream with others and convince them to believe in you as well. This authority will grant you power and success.

Emotional Intelligence Is the Key to Becoming an Inspirational Leader

In Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee agree that believing in yourself is crucial to creating an inspired following and achieving success. However, they argue that many people lack the self-confidence necessary to inspire others and achieve their wildest dreams because they have low emotional intelligence—they’re unable to understand and manage their own emotions (including negativity and self-doubt), which often prevents them from being able to understand and effectively interact with others.

They explain that the key to overcoming self-doubt and fear—and, in turn, becoming an inspirational leader—is to practice and improve on the four skills of emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness: understanding your emotions and accurately assessing your strengths and weaknesses

• Self-management: managing and rationalizing your emotions

• Social awareness: understanding others’ perspectives

• Relationship management: using empathy to understand and manage your relationships

Jackson and Greene present three principles for believing in yourself and convincing others to believe in you as well.

Principle #1: Break Societal Conventions

The biggest obstacle preventing us from achieving our wildest dreams is believing in societal conventions—what people tell us is and isn’t possible. Jackson and Greene argue that you can do anything you want if you believe you can. Consequently, don’t let the beliefs of society impact your goals or your belief in your ability to achieve them.

(Shortform note: In Bold, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler agree that thinking unconventionally and autonomously (breaking societal conventions) is crucial to becoming a successful, inspiring person. However, they warn that it can be hard to maintain this approach when facing barriers. To maintain this mindset, they recommend creating a list of facts that will inspire you to stay committed—for example, “people thought electricity was a fantasy until someone broke societal conventions and made it real.” Revisiting these facts when your doubts are plaguing you will remind you that breaking societal conventions is important.)

Principle #2: Find a Driving Purpose

Jackson and Greene argue that one of the best ways to gain power and success is to believe that it’s your purpose in life to do so. Believe that a higher power is laying out a path to success for you. Not only will this help you believe in yourself, but it’ll also motivate you to persist through any obstacles or doubts you might face.

(Shortform note: In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield reiterates the importance and benefits of finding a driving purpose. He also explains how to find your purpose: Ascertain your true passions (the things that make you happy and fulfilled) and desires in life. To find your passions, you could list the times you’ve felt the happiest in life or take a “passion test.” To identify what you truly want in life, you could identify 20 things you love to do or write 30 things you want to be, have, and do before you die.)

Principle #3: Present Your Path to Success to Others

Once you’ve found your path to success, tell others about it and explain to them how exactly you’ll follow it. Be passionate and emotionally compelling, and rally people behind a common cause. According to Jackson and Greene, this will convince people that you and your goal are worth believing in.

(Shortform note: In Bold, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler agree that achieving large-scale success (like becoming a world-renowned rapper, as Jackson did) requires you to inspire people and get them to rally behind your cause. They elaborate that the best way to achieve this is by creating a compelling story. This story should follow a logical progression and emotionally appeal to others by explaining how your goals (like becoming a rapper) will benefit them and why they’re important. The story should also use keywords that appeal to your target audience.)

Rule #6: Overcome the Fear of Death

Finally, Jackson and Greene argue that the possibly most important rule of fearlessness is to overcome the fear of death. Most people struggle to follow this rule because it’s our natural instinct to fear death—this is what keeps us alive. However, when we fear death, we repress thoughts about our mortality and embrace the more desirable but unrealistic fantasy that we have infinite time—not just to live, but to accomplish our goals. This ultimately leads to inaction—when we don't take our finite lifespan seriously, we lack the sense of urgency needed to follow the previous five rules and succeed.

To overcome the fear of death, Jackson and Greene argue that you must reach a state of transcendence—a higher level of awareness in which you accept and appreciate the universal process of life and death. You’ll learn to accept that death is a natural part of life—it’s neither good nor bad. Once you do so, you can connect to a deeper life purpose and develop a sense of urgency to achieve power and success before your time is up.

How to Accept Mortality and Succeed in Life

In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson reiterates that people naturally fear death and that accepting your mortality is crucial to living a successful and fulfilling life. However, his perspective on what it means to fear mortality and how to overcome this fear differs from Jackson and Greene’s.

First, while Jackson, Greene, and Manson agree that fearing death makes your life less meaningful because you’ll fail to truly succeed, their ideas of what it means to reach “true success” and accept mortality differ. Jackson and Greene argue that accepting mortality means appreciating the universal process of life and death—this acceptance leads to true success by creating a sense of urgency to gain power (as discussed earlier). Meanwhile, Manson believes that accepting mortality means considering how you’ve impacted the world during your lifespan. He believes that accepting mortality leads to success by encouraging you to get rid of selfish goals and values—like gaining power.

Further, while Jackson and Greene recommend overcoming your fear of mortality by reaching a state of transcendence where you accept the universal process of life and death, Manson takes a more personal approach. Rather than focusing on the vastness of existence in general, he argues that you should focus on your personal identity and whether or not your values make your life feel meaningful. Aim to do the most good with your time while you're alive.

To develop a sense of transcendence so you can overcome the fear of death and the inaction it causes, Jackson and Greene recommend following two principles.

Principle #1: Experience Awe

To reach a state of transcendence, Jackson and Greene argue that you must experience feelings of awe. They explain that people often have a mundane, standard life—they never do awe-inspiring things that open their eyes to the true nature of life, death, and the universe. Consequently, they lack passion and develop a myopic perspective that prevents them from seeing the big picture, developing a sense of urgency, and achieving power and success.

(Shortform note: Researchers reiterate that experiencing awe is important, but their findings seem to contradict Jackson’s and Greene’s argument in a few ways. First, they say that awe actually makes people feel like they have more time, which would decrease their sense of urgency according to Jackson and Greene’s argument. Further, they argue that awe makes people less self-focused and materialistic—so, possibly less likely to strive for individual power and success, as Jackson and Greene suggest.)

To develop a sense of awe that will help you break this pattern, Jackson and Greene make two main recommendations:

First, regularly step out of your comfort zone. Leaving your comfort zone forces you to break your mundane patterns and realize that you can accomplish more in life. This will reignite your sense of awe and passion, helping you reach a state of transcendence.

(Shortform note: While Jackson and Greene recommend stepping out of your comfort zone specifically to experience awe, experts explain that this practice has numerous other benefits that will also increase your chances of being successful. For example, leaving your comfort zone boosts your creativity, increases your self-confidence, gives you more opportunities to grow, and teaches you more about yourself, which can improve your mental health.)

Second, experience things that are vast and make you feel small—for example, expose yourself to the vastness and beauty of nature or think about the numerous species of life on earth. This will remind you of the expansive nature of life, death, and the universe. You’ll recognize that there’s so much more to life than your mundane routines, which will reignite your sense of transcendence and passion.

(Shortform note: There are arguably more important benefits to larger-than-life experiences than just developing a sense of transcendence and urgency. Experts explain experiencing the vastness of life and feeling awe can improve your physical and mental health—awe decreases inflammation, and it also protects the body from chronic diseases and health problems like Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and heart disease.)

Principle #2: Put Things Into Perspective

Jackson and Greene argue that putting things into perspective—acknowledging the natural and infinite cycle of life, death, and the universe—will help you get comfortable with the idea of death, reach a state of transcendence, and develop a sense of urgency in life.

Putting things into perspective means acknowledging that life and death are natural and neutral—neither good nor bad. Remember that life has existed for millions of years before you and the universe will exist for billions more after you. Trillions of people have lived, died, and been forgotten, and this will eventually happen to you too—it’s nature. However, right now, you’re alive, so you must use your time wisely while you have it.

The more you think about the natural cycle of life and death for all things and the infinite nature of the universe, the more you’ll become comfortable with the idea of death and value the limited time you have while living.

The Role of Religion in Accepting Death

Jackson and Greene argue that you can overcome the fear of death by putting your life into perspective and accepting that your mortality is part of an ancient, natural, and universal order. This is a primary role of many religions—to help people understand and accept death and the natural order. However, different religions espouse different levels of acceptance when it comes to death.

For example, in Buddhism and Hinduism, death is viewed as a natural part of life and is accepted rather than fought near the end of one’s life. These religions recommend avoiding heavy medication and treatments near death—in other words, not delaying death. Thus, they seem to preach total acceptance of death as a natural, universal process, as Jackson and Greene encourage.

On the other hand, Christianity and Islam have a different view of life and death. While they also teach that death is part of the natural order and should be accepted, their followers generally try to extend life for as long as possible through treatment and medication. As these religions generally fight death when it approaches, it seems that they don’t accept death as wholeheartedly as Jackson and Greene recommend. Therefore, people of these beliefs may struggle more than usual to truly accept death as a neutral, natural process.