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SERVANT I FOUND THE WILL TO BE MASTER.
It is certainly a great discovery. It is because of this will to power that those who are strong become commanders and those who are weak become slaves. But even the lowest slave dreams that one day he will also be the master. And even the greatest master is always afraid of his own slaves, that somebody may betray him.
Adolf Hitler never allowed anybody to sleep in his room. Just to avoid somebody's presence in the room while he is asleep, he remained a bachelor almost his whole life -- except for three hours before he committed suicide. What was the fear? He had no friends -- even people who were thought to be very close to him, he kept as far away as possible.
He followed Machiavelli's advice with totality: "Whoever is close to you one day will topple you. Beware of the friend. The enemy is not so dangerous, because the enemy is far away; the real danger is the friend, because he is so close. Any moment, his sword can be at your neck."
There is a hierarchy in the world in many ways. That hierarchy fulfills a double role: somebody is higher than you -- he commands you; somebody is lower than you -- you command him.
I am reminded of a beautiful story.... One of the great emperors of India was Akbar. He had chosen the wisest people for his court. From all over the country great poets, painters, dancers... anybody who was a genius in any dimension was picked up by him for his court. And he rewarded them immensely.
One day he was talking with his nine greatest friends. They were called "the nine jewels of Akbar's court." They were the nine most intelligent, creative people. And Akbar was a little whimsical;he used to do things... and of course you cannot ask the emperor, "Why?" He was not answerable to anybody.
Suddenly he hit the face of the man standing by his side. He was the most intelligent man in the court -- his name was Birbal. Birbal waited for a moment, perhaps considering what to do. He could not ask the emperor, "Why have you slapped me?" -- that would be too dangerous -- but something had to be done. In front of so many people, he had been slapped -- this could not
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