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I see a glaring omission here.

The 13th law of power: When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interests, never to their mercy or gratitude.

http://robertgreene.net/the-48-laws-of-power.html

(The 40th law of power is also relevant: Despise the free lunch.)

I like these rules. I can`t agree more with you about applying to people`s self-interests. I think that principle "I`ll scratch your back if you scratch mine" is very powerful. When friends receive your request for help they will often look for a reason to help you. So, it might be a good rule to give them in your request an answer to WIIFM. BTW, I experienced the truth of #45 - Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once. We are creatures of habit and hate when someone threatens them.

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