I know you know that Hydrogen is the most common element in the Universe! And our Earth has more of Nitrogen and Oxygen in the first and second place! But if you put price to them you can see that Oxygen is free and the element which is very rare is the costliest!
There is an element called the Astatine which is purely radioactive, with its longest living isotope having a lifetime of 8.1 hours. According to estimations, there are less than one gram of astatine in the Earth’s crust, making it the rarest naturally occurring element!
Now you can live without Astatine your whole life but you cannot live without oxygen for even five minutes! But you always respect and value that which is rare! Which is the biggest irony! Let us see how you can use this!
In the book 48 laws of power by Robert Greene he tells the law of rarity! This law is the law number 16!
Robert tells the story of a problem solver of a country who used to solve all the problems so much so that everyone used to come to him. At the peak of his fame he suddenly stopped! The whole country went into chaos and they frantically ran towards him to start being their problem solver again like a king!
He gave his condition that he would not be disturbed for petty things and no one can meet him directly. Pretty soon he became an enigma! Most couldn’t meet him and those rare fortunate ones who met him were amazed by his capacity! His aura became almost God-like! Only because, they knew his value and he was not easily accessible!
This law 16 of the 48 Laws of Power, as outlined by Robert Greene, states, “Use absence to increase respect and honor.” This law emphasizes the importance of strategic withdrawal and the impact of scarcity on perceived value. By making yourself less accessible or withdrawing at key moments, you can heighten the desire and appreciation of others, ultimately increasing your power and influence!
The importance of Law 16 lies in its focus on the psychological principle of scarcity! The more scarce a resource, the greater its perceived value!
First step in this to create a demand and show the usefulness! Then at the peak of its use, make the resource hard to get! It can be anything for that matter! The moment you make the tag ‘LIMITED EDITION’ either physically or mentally, there occurs a great temptation to get it however you can! The sense of scarcity can drive up the price and demand! Which is why you do not need to sell! It will get sold by itself!
Apparently the artist Leonardo da Vinci was a master of Law 16. By producing a limited number of works and maintaining an air of mystery, he increased the value and mystique of his creations. The rarity of his paintings contributed to the enduring fascination with his art and the astronomical prices his works command today!
This is applicable even to the politicians of today! If you can easily access the big minister then you may not know his or her value! Which is why they always raise their value by being as inaccessible as possible!
There was this story of a great musician who played on the street for free but not many took notice or appreciated him! But they paid thousands of dollars just to see him play the same music that very night at a concert!
Which brings to my mind one of the greatest lines spoken by a villian in any movie! This is Joker in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (One of the best movies ever! Very close to Shawshank redemption!); He says, “If you are good at something, never do it for free!”
Then again you do not mind paying lots to listen to some people especially those who can make your body and mind to be at peace!
Like the meditation and sudarshan kriya by Sri Sri Ravishankar
Shubh ratri…
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