Book SummaryThe 50th Law, by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The 50th Law

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 achieving success.

Jackson and Greene argue that you must become fearless to truly thrive. They illustrate this point by telling the story of Jackson’s struggles and accomplishments on his way to success and presenting the rules of fearlessness that he followed to get there.

Jackson is an American Rapper from Southside Queens, New York. He released his first major-label album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, in 2003, and in 2005, he starred in a [film of the same...

The 50th Law Summary The Life of Curtis Jackson

The authors write that Jackson had a difficult childhood. He was raised in Southside Queens (New York City, New York) during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic with little familial guidance and almost no opportunity for upward mobility. Hustling by dealing drugs (which we’ll refer to simply as “hustling”) was the only career that could provide Jackon with enough income to live comfortably, so he chose to pursue this path at a young age. Hustling was a dangerous lifestyle, and Jackson faced violence from other hustlers, drug addicts, and police.

(Shortform note: Jackson wasn’t the only one who struggled with life in New York during the crack epidemic—a 1989 New York Times article explains that the effects were felt city-wide. From 1987 to 1988, the homicide rate in the city jumped by 10.4%, with 38% of those homicides involving drugs (including crack). Crack use also tripled the cases of child neglect by intoxicated parents. Further, crack became most popular in disadvantaged Black and Hispanic neighborhoods (like Jackson’s) because, as Jackson suggests, it...

The 50th Law Summary Rule #1: Gain Acute Awareness of Reality

First, Jackson and Greene argue that to achieve fearlessness, you must become acutely aware of the reality of your circumstances, no matter how painful they are.

Many people struggle to follow this rule because they want to avoid the anxiety and fear that arises when thinking of unpleasant facts. Consequently, they avoid confronting the harsh reality of their circumstances. As a result, these people have an inaccurate or incomplete view of reality that leaves them powerless to make the changes they desire in life.

On the other hand, becoming acutely aware of the factors shaping your circumstances allows you to achieve ultimate power over them. Gaining acute awareness requires you to look at the internal and external factors that have shaped your circumstances—your mindset and fears—as well as external elements like the people around you. Once you understand how these factors are shaping your reality, you can identify opportunities to manipulate them and change your future.

Don’t Just Gain Awareness—Take Responsibility, Too

In The 10X Rule, Grant Cardone argues that the key to achieving success is not...

The 50th Law Summary Rule #2: Be Self-Sufficient

Second, Jackson and Greene argue that fearlessness involves being self-sufficient. This means surviving and thriving completely on your own without relying on others to provide you with comfort or support, whether financially, emotionally, or physically.

Many people struggle to follow this rule because we’re raised to be dependent on others from childhood. We’re dependent on our parents for everything while growing up, on bosses for employment and financial stability, and on friends for mental and emotional support. However, this reliance gives others power over you and takes away your autonomy. This limits your power to grow, succeed, and change your circumstances—you can’t reach your full potential if you’re relying on others to provide for you.

(Shortform note: While Jackson and Greene argue that you should gain full self-sufficiency rather than relying on others for support, some experts argue that relying on social support systems is integral to reaching your goals and sustaining your mental health and well-being. People who rely on strong social support systems are better at coping with...

The 50th Law Summary 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...

The 50th Law Summary 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,...

The 50th Law Summary 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...

The 50th Law Summary 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...

Shortform Exercise: Increase Power and Fearlessness in Your Life

Jackson and Greene recommend following the rules and principles in this guide to foster fearlessness and increase your power and success in life. However, with so many recommendations, it can be difficult to pinpoint where to start. In this exercise, we’ll identify which rules you should target first to make the biggest impact on your fearlessness as soon as possible.

Of the six rules discussed in this guide, which two rules do you currently struggle to implement the most? Why are these rules particular struggles for you? (For example, maybe you have a crippling fear of death (Rule #6) after losing many loved ones, and you struggle to use aggression effectively (Rule #4) due to poor emotional control.)