TLDR; Stone's Rules

Get ready, this is a doozy. Thankfully I bought this book second hand, so he didn't get any of my money through this. This book is not worth the read. It's rambly, redundant, braggadocious, and gross 🤮 . It does show how people like him really think though. So, here's the TLDR of Roger Stone's 140 Insane Rules for business, politics, and fashion. 

(The plethera of fashion rules were pretty dated and designed for the middle aged white male gaze, but basically, wear things that fit and are not super distracting.)

Lastly and certainly not leastly, according to this book because he brings it up so many times in so many ways in multiple rules that are almost the exact same wording In it all sections:

And you know what, just for fun, here's a Martini recipe he listed as its' own separate rule after talking about how it is a great idea to get people drunk to spill their tea: 

TRANSCRIPT

Size matters - bigger is better in every situation no matter what it is always all time.

 

Mindful 

The bigger the goals, the longer the gestation

Never just wing it - always have a plan and always be working your plan but also always be ready to change your plan at a moment’s notice 

Always get revenge. be patient, but always get revenge 

Failure is educational. learn from it, reflect on it, dissect it so as to be beyond prepared next time, and the next time aim higher with that main character energy of someone who did actually succeed previously. 

Never admit your failure. 

Be prepared for your mistakes to be found out and aired out the more fame and power you gain. 

Play the cards you were dealt, owning them and your story 

The perception of hypocrisy is everyone’s undoing… dDoesn’t matter if you are or not, just don’t get labeled as a hypocrite. 

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is - it’s probably actually a scheme/lie/trick.

Be good at public speaking - use inflection to engage the audience, but never resort to yelling - it makes you look weak.

Calculate how you are being perceived at all times - control the lighting, control your attire, control your movements and physical interactions just in case they are captured in pictures. 

Ex: don’t flaunt style that is better than your followers and looking like you probably think you are better than the

Ex: use pointing in people’s faces stylistically for photographic storytelling 

Be cool around celebrities 

To assume is to make an ass out of you and me - always actually know 

Write everything down all the time never rely solely on your memory 

Believe people when they show you who they are the first time

Start your days with sharing bad news or difficult convos for your own productivity goals 

 

 

Manipulation

 

Don’t discount the “bank-shot” - Sometimes you need to throw someone under the bus to get at someone ancillary to you and that bus-flattened-certain-someone

Most people are able to be manipulated into being a warm ally, so don’t give up on cold calls until they prove they are truly frozen

Respect people’s time and they will respect yours (awe!)

Use human nature to your advantage - convince people to mobilize against something (it’s way easier than getting them to mobilize for something - humans hate with more passion than they love… in fact, they actually love to hate)

Praise before insult towards an opponent tricks the audience into thinking you are reasonable 

In negotiations, never reveal your calculated goal - instead, get your opponent to admit what they are willing to to agree to first 

Go where your target audience is and say what they want you to say, do not try to attract them to a place or to an ideal (no one really cares); work all applicable angles to gain that audience

Having Followers is more important than defining what they are are following  

people have very short attention spans - not usually paying attention outside of specific, predictable moments in time. Prep for those moments to control the narrative in the long run 

Never actually be angry, but choose when to pretend to be when it is advantageous. Wield ferocity, condensation, and calm aggressiveness as a tool to manipulate the situation

connections are key - help people willingly - make them think highly of you and feel indebted to you 

Pizza parties work

Stereotypes are reliable 

Get people drunk to spill their secrets 

 

 

 

 

Money

Giving out money and favors prolifically, always accepting them eagerly, and always paying back favors is good business.

Bribes, loop-holes, legal but immoral practices, are all fair game 

Everything can be bought/fixed/controlled with cash and by knowing how to manipulate the relevant decision makers.

Money solves everything - it is king. Grease hands liberally as everyone everywhere is in it for personal enrichment.

Giving out financial gifts makes you look generous, likable, and influential and will win you friends/followers/loyalty, so do it no matter your personal financial situation. 

 

 

 

Messaging

“Keep It Simple, Stupid” - make it big, bold, simple, and short because people are dumb but also they want to feel informed so provide easily accessible excessive explanations. 

Build a radical base, then target subcultures individually.

Don’t alienate your current followers to gain new followers. 

If you are not gaining followers you are losing followers. Target groups with things that affect them, but won’t contradict what you promised others.

No one wants outside forces meddling in their personal life, so don’t let them find out how things might negatively affect them personally.

Feel free to use anything at your disposal as evidence to slander opponents, even things they were recorded saying years ago.

Politics is a game of keeping the news spewing constant updates - make-up stuff if needed to keep the 24hr news cycle well fed. 

Focus all energy on attacking rivals and frontrunners - giving any attention to those trailing behind you only gives them more credibility and attention.

No such thing as too much of literally anything - Get your messages/products in front of people past the point of over saturation and being annoying, and you will barely be breaking into the public consciousness. Be focussed, repetitive, click-bait-y. 

Taking polls/consensus on specific attributes is an artform that allows you to tell stories that honestly inform your campagne but also tell stories that you can use to your advantage. 

Use the press/news/gossip to your advantage; work closely with allies and undermine outsiders 

Focus all your energy on pedaling entertaining big picture exaggerations and delegate all the actual work of making the boring reality behind them to your underlings.

There are no new ideas, just current relevant ways to refurbish and parade them

DEI is nonsense and insulting and has nothing to do with civil rights, which should be enshrined by deregulating everything so all have the same access to exploit one another and our natural resources for uncapped personal gain. 

 

 

Madness

Mantra to follow every day in every way: Embrace Fearless, Lawless, Unhinged, Delusional, Relentless Recklessness!

Be highly reactionary and also highly proactive.

Never admit to wrongdoing, Admit nothing, deny everything, launch a counter attack immediately and overwhelmingly to drown out any accusations with your own retaliatory ones through every possible channel.

Don’t ever be yourself - be who they want you to be.

Three can keep a secret if 2 of them are dead.

Lie lie lie all the time about everything all the time to everyone repeatedly, Loudly, and unshaken.

Always guard your true intentions, alliances, and nature.

Decide what you want to be true or what you want other ppl to believe as true.

Keep secrets from everyone, feeding disinformation to friend and foe alike, to manipulate the truth or design set ups for those whom you are plotting their downfall.

Pretend to not know anything while actually knowing everything.

Your right hand man should be a through and through loyalist to you alone, and should always be adding to your prestige and power. 

People idolize individuals, not committees. To be perceived as an effective leader, make all the decisions by yourself with no input from others, or at least make it look that way.

He who laughs last laughs the heartiest / revenge is a dish best served cold.

 

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