ArtfulPrudence

Enriching Man's Honour by Wisdom and Nobility

Power

Laws of Power: The Secret Agent

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Sincerity is rare, and it is one of the most subtle and clever forms of stratagem, sincerity comes to be merely another tool to extract information for your advantage. The cunning utilises sincerity merely as another tool in their arsenal to win people to their side, they acknowledge the fact that its seeming transparency lowers people’s guard, making them vulnerable to potentially exploit. Furthermore, once their guard is lowered, they are both more receptive and easier to mislead as a sense of trust starts to develop on top of the seeming good faith.

Most people believe honesty is the best policy, this is their way of exhibiting one of their most inherent weaknesses, thus concealing deception and investigation through a harmless and sincere front is one of the most subtle forms of smokescreens you can use. To gather information does not exactly require insincerity, you can be sincere and simultaneously inquiring through indirect probing instead of asking direct questions. There is no urgent necessity for terrible untruthfulness to compel people to reveal their hand. Rather, you could compel people to expose their hand by understanding the underlying prompts that cause them to do so.

A man by the name of Joseph Duveen used third parties to win over an art collector to his side, persuading him to buy his art and making a loyal client of him. His course of action to achieve this was clever and straightforward, he hired spies and took them under his wing to gather information about the man’s taste, tendencies, and delicacies. He would later use this information to coerce the man into buying from him, adjusting his conduct and temperament accordingly. The third parties would update him with valuable information because they operate in the man’s territory and they also were on Duveen’s payroll. Having third parties doing the spying for you makes you seem like a fortune teller, able to accurately assess someone’s desires and proclivities. This psychic-like power amplifies your character and makes you appear grandiose to the point of captivation. There is an element of inscrutability that comes with having third parties, as no one can figure out where your valuations and information are coming from.

You can only have foreknowledge if you have obtained and gathered information on your adversary through devious investigation, whether be through the use of spies of doing it yourself. You can cultivate the qualities required to engage in undercover work and not have to rely on third parties to accumulate relevant information. The one obstacle you will be confronted with when you exercise this course of action yourself is that people tend to conceal their feelings and intentions. And, of course, you must have a degree of influence over future events to preserve your control. There are many ways to indirectly force people to reveal their hand, some more subtle than others, but many do the job depending on the situation at hand. Duveen had an impressive ability to conceal his genuine temperament and motives in a very subtle smokescreen of insinuation and ambiguity. He got others to do all the talking, revealing information about their lives and plans and as a result, they find themselves uncovering their motives and desires. Talleyrand was another such figures, he was known for saying very little yet was a good conversationalist. He would let others do all the talking, yet control the direction of the conversation through indirectly compelling them to disclose their incentives.

To have a trusting front and not arouse suspicion, you should conceal investigation in courtesy and modesty. Whether friend or foe, this smokescreen allows you to gather your desired information. Talleyrand, to get the upper hand and read a situation, used to shoot a firearm to see who and how they’ll respond. If they did, they would jump out of the window. The effect is simple but effective as it uncovers people’s character. Nevertheless, your indirect probing should not become apparent, for as people’s doubts start to manifest, so does their lack of trust. If you’re suspicious you’re being lied to, exhibit it in your suspicious gesture. This will compel the liar to carry on with his falsifications until eventually he falls short and unmasks himself. The trick, then, is to get others to expose their hand while not exposing yours. This is not as intricate as it may sound, if you apply the relevant methods, your friendly facade will make up for your search for information. It is not so much that your seeking information is immoral, it may or may not be, it is beyond the point. If people notice that you are acting suspicious, in search for particulars, you will be met with resistance and opposition and the effect will crumble and there is a chance your good name will be injured also.

If you’re at a social event, keep an eye out and be attentive. In any gathering, people’s resistance is softened and this makes for a good chance to accumulate details while blending in with everyone else. Gatherings are perfect for this course of action, you have the ability to blend in with the crowd, adjusting your temperament to better acculturate with the environment. If you subdue your character momentarily and focus on getting others to talk, mostly about themselves, you will gradually open them up. Before you know it, they will find themselves saying more than necessary, giving you the upper hand while you disguise your motives with a most sincere and courteous front. As you control the direction of the conversation, you also have to indirectly inquire. This will not be put to question assuming you have nailed all the other facets, and in such an atmosphere, said subtle methods are not straightforward to make out.

There are other forms of probing that are somewhat more situational. You can gauge people’s character and motives through making up a supposed secret, confessing it and seeing their reaction. Straightforward yet effective, and if dropped at the right time, you will manage to get a reaction out of them, but not necessarily the one you want. Another form of probing is the use of contradiction, to appear to say something conflicting that unsettles them and discerning their response and gesture. When people are unsettled by something, they tend to lose some influence over their verbose and this sense of confusion can be defeating for them but fairly productive for you.

There is an old yet artful saying, give a false confession to receive a real one. That is, your seeming admission and sincerity to confess will urge them to give a confession in return, except theirs will be authentic unless it is someone who has a capacity for cunning and is able to sniff it out. Knowing what information to disclose and conceal is important, it preserves your control and influence over your domain. And it is not as simple as it sounds to know what information to keep private and what you can disclose, you must have an adequate foresight to consider the possible variables of your remarks, how they are delivered, and what gesture it is coupled with. Moreover, you do not have all the time in the world to think, it demands shrewdness and being quick on your feet.

Truth is a treasure, and it is usually secured with an intricate layer of falsehood that safeguards the truth from being put out. That being said, you must know how to provide false information when circumstance demands. When the real is blended in with the false, the false is that much harder to discern because the very alternation of them muddles you to which is which. With regards to false information, if it is blended in with evident information that needs to fabrication, it makes for ideal concealment of false information. Nevertheless, it is of import to point out that the delivery of false information is crucial. It must be as believable as the real, but not immoderate effort must be put into it, or else you achieve the opposite, you make people dubious as to why you’re explaining yourself. The real and false, then, must be intermingled and delivered in almost an identical manner, and an inscrutable poker face is definitely advantageous in these conditions.

Further Reading

Laws of Power: Absence and Presence

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Preface

There is a worn saying that too much circulation lessens value. In other words, by being seen and heard regularly, you make yourself look unexceptional and plain. You can make people respect you in your group through employing momentary withdrawals from it without prior assertion. Your absence stirs veneration and esteem, but you shall know, also, that timing is of great significance with regards to your disengagement because a late or premature withdrawal will achieve the contrary, making you forgotten or scorned. You create merit through shortage, for what is hard to find is reticent and sought after.

Introductory Presence and Familiarity

Beginnings should be filled with your ubiquitousness not scarcity. Prosperity should be pervaded with both absence and presence. What is appreciated will be missed in its non-appearance. In matters of attracting women, you should first build adequate comfort before attempting to disengage. Employ and grip her emotions, put her at ease and soften her resistance, then your withdrawal will be thrilling and unpredictable. If your absence is unforeseen, it is all the more enticing, for the woman will make various assumptions of what could have possibly went wrong and moreover, there is a a sense of repudiation associated with it that stimulates a woman’s imagination in the most desirable manner. Recognise that sudden withdrawal and shortage, even if seemingly so, is deserving of esteem and where women are concerned, of lust. The common and ordinary transforms appeal into contempt, as its prolongation provokes discourtesy.

Truancy subsides trivial passions and stimulates glorious ones. Often, people overlook the reality that growing inordinately obtainable and accessible makes you assailable to exploitation. Occupying your domain for extended periods without momentary departures will make it taxing for you to withdraw in the long-run, and that is counter-productive since attachment of any sort will, in due course, generate diminishing returns. Absence and presence are a dualism, and should be in moderate equilibrium, for if you’re wedded to one polarity and antagonistic to the other, you are a symptom of an unsound mind. Much in this world is hinged on this dualism, and thus to stabilise yourself adequately is to possess a graceful poise that is neither fastened nor loose.

The Game of Absence and Presence

Absence and presence, in many forms, is a game of hide and seek, as you become more recognised and discerned, your value starts to decline. You attempt to adjust your model of conduct, so people perceive you differently, but it is all futile. You must be capable of withdrawal, making it a point that your withdrawal is timed correctly and done prior to rousing disdain in others. People who regard you with contempt will make it apparent in their conduct and if you are unaware of their behaviour, you make matters worse and no mere withdrawal will make them suddenly admire you. This is not only relevant in general social circumstances, it is as relevant in affairs related to women and seduction.

Absence is effective with women only when your image has been established and your presence is noteworthy and glaring. It is only under such a condition that a woman will be reminded of you in your absence. If there is no underlying contrast between a heightened presence and a sudden withdrawal, your absence will not stimulate a passionate response that will, in turn, induce a striking and exciting arrival. In the beginning stages, absence plays a major role in stimulating the woman’s imagination, however, as time goes and you divulge your character to the woman, the initial charm starts to wear off and the woman does not feel the burning desire she felt in the opening phase. At this point, the woman knows more than necessary about you for her imaginativeness to be roused, and thus has no expanse to be exercised for both her and your merit.

Consequently, imagination is easily stimulated through mystery, but men, by and large, are incompetent in sustaining mystery after the opening stage of an affair. Men have a tendency to grow immoderately familiar to a woman and in a rapid manner, this is a repulsive move and one that most men are ignorant of. Some disclosure is acceptable and necessary, complete disclosure is revolting, overfamiliar and boring. A lack of disclosure gives your woman space to draw assumptions about you without your emphasising it, and this is compelling and fruitful. Moreover, when you’re not in a hurry revealing all the specifics, you have the opportunity to unfasten and let the woman do the talking while you amuse yourself with all the particulars she is imparting.

You are not like everyone else, so do not tolerate substandard behaviour because others do. If you let others deal with you poorly, they will keep dealing with you in the same manner. For, they have found a loophole for exploitation that they can leverage. It is better to starve the other person of your attendance than grow familiar. Your withdrawal is your means of averting potential contempt and disrespect. Make it a point that your women or friends know that their behaviour comes at a cost, that way they will think over their actions and act accordingly, with the knowledge of your willingness to leave.

The Utility of Withdrawal

If they are threatened with the possibility of losing you, they will not persist in their obnoxious behaviour, and if they do, you rid yourself of people who do not value your presence. After your death, an aura of respect will encircle you. People’s reprisals of you will be recalled, as well as their disputes with you and they will grow contrite and culpable. Your withdrawal is a form of demise, and upon your arrival it will be as if you have come back to life and an air of rebirth will emanate from your presence, imbuing in people a sense of consolation from your recurrence. Scarcity, as well, is just as applicable to personal skills, your work can come to be rare and exceptional, increasing its value notably. If your work is discerned in this light, there will be an unavoidable aura surrounding your persona that will make you seem singular and distinctive, for your work is, in many forms, a reflection and expression of your character.

Napoleon understood the law when he remarked, “If I am often seen at the theatre, people will cease to notice me.” In other words, commonality lessens attention and breeds negligence. In matters of command, there comes a juncture when the powerful are regarded with scorn and disdain, people lost esteem and grown fed up with them. They seem as undistinguished as everyone, which renders to them being estimated worse since you collate them to their previous persona. If you retire well, you can preserve some power and reclaim lost respect. If you retire in an imprudent manner, you are running the high prospect of losing both.

To sum up, absence generates acclaim and admiration and while presence denigrates fame, absence amplifies it. A man, when present, grows ordinary and absurd, when absent, grows brave and heroic. The gleam of talents turns familiar, for the carapace of the intellect does not justify its copious and fertile internal substance. The call for retirement, therefore, is likewise utilised by remarkable brains, in order for other men to applaud and hold in great respect and rouse a yearning in their absence.

Further Reading

Laws of Power: Making People Come to You

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“When I have laid bait for deer, I don’t shoot at the first doe that comes to sniff, but wait until the whole herd has gathered round.”

Otto Von Bismarck

When the other person is forced to act, you have more control. Making your opponent come to you is more beneficial in many conditions, and abandoning his plans in the act of doing so. To have the capacity to preserve the upper hand is the spirit of power and to coerce others to act in a reactive manner to your initiative, putting them on the guarding end. If you are compelling someone to move, you are the one in control of the circumstance, for the person who has command and sway holds more power. To place yourself in such a position, you should, firstly, overcome your emotions.

Emotions weigh you down if submitted to during conflict, and thus cultivated objectivity and loosening towards and from them is indispensable to maintain equanimity.

Secondly, you must shun away from being guided by anger and overtly exhibiting it among others. It is, more than anything, a substantiation of weakness that hampers superior character. Utilise, instead, the natural tendency people have to rebel and irately respond to pressure and lure. An aggressive person scarcely has complete control, he lacks the foresight necessary to see more than a few moves ahead and furthermore, he is often unaware of the conceivable ramifications of a valiant move. He is being constrained to respond to his enemies’ actions and to the unexpected upshots of his own impulsive conduct. Discernibly, his belligerent force opposes him, bringing him diminishing returns.

Your energy is limited, and there is, of course, a point in time where your energy is at its pinnacle. Consider, though, that when the other person is coerced into coming to you, he weakens his vitality in doing so.

Inquire, then, what is the purpose of pursuing, attempting to work out a course of action to conquer your enemies, if you sense a lack of control? Why is it that you are more reactive than directive? The straightforward answer is that your discernment of power is in error.

Understand, productive action does not automatically entail hostility. Many times, productive action means holding back with composure and cool, letting your enemy grow exasperated by your tangles.

Other times, it will be wiser to promptly attack your enemy to avert his recuperation for vengeance. It is not a swift victory you should be after, but long-lasting authority. Furthermore, another upper hand of this form of coercion is that it constrains your enemy to function in your terrain, which could be unexplored territory to your enemy.

Operating in antagonistic and unfamiliar terrain makes your enemy apprehensive and on edge, leading to hasty and mindless action which many a time ends in miscalculation. The wise know how to entice their enemy in the terrain of their choice with the knowledge that conserving control is more advantageous than reckless action. Similarly, Talleyrand seized Napoleon through sufficient control of his words and mastery over his passions. The ruse Talleyrand employed on Napoleon was candied enough to coax him, exploiting his frailty and impulsiveness and his craving for renown. Talleyrand discerned precisely where his indisposition lied and wielded accordingly, to excellence.

Deception is a menacing scheme, and once a person harbours a suspicion that he is being swindled, it gradually comes to be more challenging to influence him.

Conversely, when your adversary is drawn to come to you, it imparts to him the false impression that he is swaying the circumstances. Your adversary, also, is ignorant that he is being carried around as he does not sense the twines that drag him. In the same way, Napoleon, upon his seemingly audacious evasion, presumed that he held the upper hand and would arrive home to power, but he was well mistaken in his assessments and much the contrary transpired.

The message, therefore, is that if your ploy is irresistible enough, your opponents’ disruption of emotion and yearning will deprive their judgement of reality to the point where the more gluttonous they grow, the more exposed they are to further artifice. Above all, why should you swelter yourself if you can get others to excavate their own grave?

There are occasions where informing your opponents that you are containing their hand is viable and productive. By doing so, you essentially surrender stealthy deceit for undisguised artifice that is more apparent. It is your powers of judgement that should recognise when to resort to such a strategy and to employ it shrewdly. The point in time and the state of affairs connected to it determine your method of employment. Superior warriors do not go to their adversary, instead, they drive their enemies towards them. The principle of emptiness and fullness epitomises warrior conduct; when your opponent is coerced to move to you, his energy is empty, and so long as you do not move to them, your energy is filled up.

Thus, if you plan an attack with full force on your adversary, whose force is empty and recouping, he will, in all likelihood, get worn out and drained to the point of defeat.

If you are successful in subtly compelling others to come to you, you shall find that they will carry on coming to you after you cease such undertaking. For the reason that you are constraining the dynamic and others are submitting to it, yet simultaneously conveying to them a sense of jurisdiction. In actual fact, you hold more authority, and they are merely misled by impression. Nonetheless, if they are not made conscious of it, they will persist in their delusion. On the other hand, the swift attack is also an effective device, it is usually unforeseen and pressures your enemy to act in a rash manner as a consequence. Your enemy is on the defensive at once with no reasoning time and as a result, his judgement will rapidly grow deficient, leading to his enfeeblement. This stratagem is the antithesis to the preceding scheme of emptiness and fullness, in spite of that, its essence is alike and thus your adversary is constrained to respond on your conditions, not on his own. An unpredictable blow can immobilise your foe, its incalculable nature disturbs their psychology in a deterring manner. On top of that, when your foe is still convalescing from a previous conflict, it is all the more demoralising as their attention would be detracted elsewhere. There is no superior time to attack than at that moment when your adversary is regaining his strength.

Consider this sequence of events; you found yourself engaging in a fight, for whatever hapless reason, opposing a bully boy outside your department and you take a blow from the bully. You, being the canny man that you are, feign discomfort and throbbing to bewilder and delude him from making an accurate assessment that you are unhurt. The bully boy, being the belligerent weakling that he is, confronts you for a conclusive blow but much to his surprise, you catch him off-guard with an unpredictable counter-blow that hammers him to the ground. The bully finds himself in a quandary, he craves vengeance but is concurrently dispirited from your unforeseen blow. One of his friends makes an appearance and offers support to his bully friend, the bully is enraged and his friend is distressed from the incident. His friend, who is as witless as his bully friend, is intimidated by the incident and thus maintains his distance to avoid further dispute while ordering his friend to vacate. The bully, still regaining his strength, sees that his friend seems as jolted as he, and the bully is daunted to avenge and prepares to depart. What will you do? You can employ a final blow to destroy him, or you can let him leave with the possibility of future retribution. This is a tough predicament with different variables contingent upon the circumstance, but one you should consider and contemplate.

To sum up, be prudent in your choice of stratagem conditional on the circumstance. If you have sufficient knowledge that your adversary is your equal, you should know how to exhaust their force by compelling them to come to you. Conversely, if time is not favourable and your enemy is feeble, finish him off and do not give him time to get stronger as that will only prove counter-productive.

Side note: If you want a direct reference for further understanding, turn to Law 8 from 48 Laws of Power.

Further Reading

Laws of Power: Attention and Mystery

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Preface

Good name is not enough without eminence. Attention is an essential element of fame, without your recognised attendance, you merely mingle with everyone else fruitlessly. To be esteemed is to have people’s eyes on you, irrelevant of whether it is through infamy or uprightness. To rouse intrigue is to have an audience. It gives you exclusive soundness and justifiability and bestows you a favour to excel. Crowds tend to coexist together, it is a chain reaction where the few become the many and a chain reaction compounds rapidly. P. T Barnum’s principal elements for moving forward and prospering was to know how to court attention. Disagreement and argument heighten your recognition, and contrary to common misconception, you should not demur about a contentious image.

For that reason, a controversial image that sparks difference is not substandard. A storm kindles both excitement and dread, making people conspire over a state of affairs and its unravelling. Condemnation and criticism are more beneficial than disregard in certain conditions. Showmanship is a mark of the master, a charm and a hypnotic influence that draws people in. Any form of censuring should not be taken to heart, remember this. Your composure is the downfall or the advancement, unwavering tranquillity will be sufficient in most circumstances. Do not shun away from your peculiarities, bring them to light. The unfamiliar and abnormal is captivating, rousing both dispute and inquisitiveness among people. Unfamiliarity and distinction is the magic bullet, it makes you transcend the ordinary and appear larger than life.

Pablo Picasso had a capacity for sustained attention. He knew well how to create disruption through intentional and unpredictable adaptations to his style of work. His unpredictable manner engrossed crowds through his consistent inconsistency. Picasso always had the upper hand, there was no need for enduring stability, he was consistently in opposition with his art. Therefore, well-judged invigoration will sustain notice, and leave people eager. Remember: do not let your work or image grow monotone or mundane. Adaptation is essential, recondition your methods often, deliberately and calculatedly. To be flexible is to be changeable circumstantially. Do not bore your admirers, ordinariness and intimacy are fruitless and should be avoided. Lastly, Mata Hari also captivated by her constant restyling of narratives, such as attire and different dances.

Cultivating Attention and Being Mysterious

First, make yourself easily visible by the public. Slipping in the mob will only make you blend in with everyone. A hint of boldness and mystery in everything will make you grandiose. While the mob retreats into timidity, you stand out with distinction. As I elaborated in an essay on Reputation, focus your emergence on attaching your name to a divine quality that makes you remarkable. A memorable feature will set you apart from others as it will be the centre of attention. Condemnation by the mob should not make you apprehensive, your individuality unfastens you from them. Do not diverge sound from substandard attention, both will serve you. Actually, rousing argument and debate is an effective method to condemn a figure with much renown. He has more to lose, you more to acquire. Regardless, steer clear from such schemes when you have prominence or do not misuse them.

A spice of mystery in everything is divine, it is both revering and compelling. Do not hurriedly proclaim yourself if you are not recognised. Exhibiting your intentions obviously is not clever, refrain from talking openly about them. Only fools utter their plans, the wise dissimulate their past conduct. The divine way is not wholly revealing, thus do not be explicit in your explanations. Reverence is stimulated by the undefinable, not the affable. If you are confined from being mysterious as a consequence of conditions, at the minimum you should be less clear. Familiarity is tasteless, people are too predictable, you can foresee all their moves and there is little allure. Ordinariness is both cheap and unrefined because it is less taxing to be unrestrained than to be reticent. Moreover, composure is the ability to direct your tongue amidst an intense moment.

Mystery’s enchanting nature induces explanation because what cannot be deciphered generates power. In a trite world, things that were once prohibited have grown familiar and unremarkable. What is puzzling is longed for, creating a compelling urge to fathom it, owing to the feelings it induces. Besides, the imaginary is analogous to the incomprehensible. People feel superior to the predictable, they feel in control when action is foreseeable. Play the unforeseeable game by being unpredictable, avoid playing as expected. Mystery in your everyday living can be implemented in subtle manners; it charms, tempts, and pierces one’s psychology.

Ambiguous language, silence, unpredictability, and contrast all achieve such enigma when executed correctly. A common image is stable, interrupting your appearance unpredictably catches people off guard and brings about interesting responses. Once an image is disturbed with inconsistency, people are demented by your conduct and thus you hold the upper hand, this is a favourable position. Indescribable demeanour provokes uncertainty and this verity could be leveraged. The divine demands respect and familiarity rears contempt. The impudent mob are incompetent in good judgement, and thus your good service will be misconceived and belittled. The quintessence of mystery: partial disclosure excites, secretion entices. However, know when to captivate or withdraw, develop sufficient awareness of surroundings. Greed is insecurity, and exhibiting it among your superiors will challenge their good name and offend them. Mystery should not evolve into deception, modesty should not be left behind. Enigma should be pleasurable, but not menacing.

Laws of Power: Reputation

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“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.”

Joseph Hall

Introduction

Your good name speaks before you, and unaided reputation can terrify and triumph. If you are careless with your reputation, however, your vulnerability will be utilised from all possible angles. Your reputation, therefore, must be cleverly being shielded from all possible fronts. Your reputation is the basis of your power and if you start on the inadequate footing, everything will cave in eventually. Repute can be so powerful that it can hurl enemies into submission or put them on the defensive before the real conflict ensues. Intimidation and stature can stir up immense terror, transforming an army’s strength into vulnerability.

“Even those who argue against fame still want the books they write against it to bear their name in the title and hope to become famous for despising it.”– Montaigne

Repute has that remarkable power of making you seem larger than life, it elevates your spirit and reinforces your strength. In the eyes of others, good name makes you seem more significant, amplifying your self-image into one that commands respect. Everyone values repute, even if they are in denial about it. Where their self-interest is concerned, it rules over them and if they oppose it, they will still unconsciously seek it. As a matter of fact, reputation will never be portioned. You can share your virtue, but not your renown, as no one has conferred his reputation to someone else.

Building up your Reputation

“Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of. For credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear.”

Socrates

A man with a bad name is usually detested or loathed by the people. Someone who has an inadequate moral sense but has not injured his reputation is more manageable than a man that is detested or loathed by the public eye. This is eye-opening; people miscalculate the impact of good name, for they rely much on appearance. A firm reputation delivers you from exerting much energy, it grows and amplifies your presence and overstates your power to an elevated state. Furthermore, a good name also commands respect and makes you an engrossing figure. It is the most ideal form of social proof you can have. However, one momentous error and your reputation is injured, and you don’t necessarily know whether you will recuperate from it or reclaim it.

During the emergence of your name, you should make yourself renowned for a distinct quality that outshines all others, this could be your magnanimity or your transparency. If you got a good name for honesty, for instance, it will serve as an ideal smokescreen for all your methods of artifice. This particular feature will be the central quality people will ascribe to your good name, and thus it should be loudened to be heard. If you base your reputation on a simple formula, and not make it more difficult, you shall get better. The appeal you get from your spirited quality will make you known. You shall guard your reputation rigidly during your disclosure, to avoid unnecessary conflict that will obstruct your course of action moving forward. If you know you can avoid a conflict, do not oppose, you are until now growing your name.

Remember: Your reputation is one of the most sumptuous treasures. Once you have it, it is not difficult to sustain. However, if you wipe it out through error, it is taxing to regenerate.

Be considerate and assemble your reputation without haste, for this should not be hurried. If it is established at full tilt, it will not stand firm, and a foundation which is not secure will tumble soon enough. You shall learn to be forbearing with your reputation, putting your name out there among many people in an understated yet daring manner. Do not be one of those people who invites himself, in the most straightforward manner, to an event or social gathering. Conceal your scheme, and find an alternate route that is oblique. The roundabout method will make your state of affairs more reputable, it does not rouse unnecessary trace or make you seem too eager. Know how to be subtle, then, to avoid dispute and misgiving.

“As a general rule, a reputation is built on manner as much as on achievement.”

Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent

Those people whose name is already established invariably have a higher standing, personifying their firm foundation and good name. If you know they are acclaimed and the right people are on their side, you should rub shoulders with them. You shall remember, though, that their public perception should balance out with yours. Your relationship with reputable people will amplify your status, and moreover, it will breed new opportunities to meet other highly regarded figures. As a consequence of this, your social network expands and so does your good name. Your network determines status in various ways, you shall not mingle around inferiors whilst building up your renown. Respected people present you with the possibility, time and again, to develop your character. It comes down to your determination, then, to seize an opportunity when it reveals itself.

There are, nevertheless, those favourable moments where another man’s reputation is worthy of assailing. Primarily when you have less to lose than he does from a state of affairs. In such a situation, you have more to gain from it, and he has more to lose. It is a potent weapon that can be exercised on those figures whose renown and status will be advantageous and useful for your stature. This does not mean that it is pertinent to every higher-ranking person, though, there are those persons with a supreme status that should not be pounced on, their callous nature will destroy much of what you have built, and your recuperation is not warranted.

The moral, therefore, is to not be foolish and be mindless in your affairs, you should approach this undertaking with modesty and courtesy, organising your artifice in the most covert means available to you. If you conduct yourself like a man who is endowed with nobility and self-respect, many doors will be opened for you because you got those exceptional traits that are attributed to the superior.

Sustaining your Reputation, and Enemies

I shall discuss, in this section, how to preserve your reputation circumspectly, procedures you can apply to break down your enemies, and manner of conduct that alleviates potential injury to your good name.

Being careless of how others perceive you is not macho, it is somewhat thoughtless. For your self-image should be controlled by none other than yourself, if you pay no attention to how you are being discerned, someone else will, and they will gladly cast you in an inferior light. Disregarding your self-image in the face of the people is like being indifferent to your name. Reputation is conditional on self-image to a considerable extent, and thus paying no attention to it is counter-productive to sustaining your good name.

If you are being criticised or censured, resist the temptation to oppose it in a self-justifying or defensive manner, this will motivate them to further mock you. It will be like adding more fire to the flame, you make matters worse. Learn to alleviate your reactivity, it will prove advantageous to preserving your reputation and evading an entanglement that may harm your good name more than promote it. If you do not have mastery over your emotions, they will rule you and weaken your position, this is ever so relevant in matters of stature where a serious omission may lead to your demise.

If you get flustered over trivial matters, it is a demonstration of weakness. You ought to control and govern your temper and shun away from minor retribution that is of no use. Your temper is the gauge of your good sense and prudence, therefore, do not discount it. If you are to break down an enemy, do so in a calculated fashion, or else not at all. Considering you have a firm reputation, there will be possible strikes thrown your way, you shall know how to exterminate them before they become pervasive. [Niccolo Machiavelli] expressed it in this way; “One must be a fox in order to recognise traps and a lion to frighten off the wolves.” To be heroic, then, is not adequate. You shall adapt your character to have heightened perception and excellent foresight to identify stratagems and snares plotted against you. To have the capacity, in a set of circumstances, to alter your outlook and take a bird’s-eye view, taking the cautious and necessary steps that will cripple the enemy.

You knock down an enemy by exploiting their flaws, creating openings in their reputations that weaken their position to oppose you. Every enemy has his shortcomings, to leverage them, though, you shall first recognise them without uncovering your own. A definite place to start is through subtle and clever stratagem, such as mockery or derision. The ideal smokescreen to carry out such stratagem is a superficial charm. Superficial charm allows you to mock a person without coming off resentful, bitter, or inferior and it safeguards your likability. This is known as The Fake Hypnotism Demonstration. Note: your mockery should not be hostile, as this will not do your name any good. If through ridicule, you manage to put your enemy on the defensive, your reputation will heighten, under the condition that you have an elevated status that is esteemed.

To add to the previous section, courtesy, modesty, discretion, and circumspection will be of great import in maintaining your good name, as these are traits that epitomise a superior man. In addition, you must also have a capacity for immorality when circumstance necessitates. This is not to say that you are by disposition dishonourable or corrupt. However, it is better to be feared than loved, and thus you should have a capacity to be a great deceiver and liar when called for.

Moreover, spreading false gossip about your enemy is another such method that rouses threat. The rumours that you stir up can intimidate your subject to the point where their self-defence becomes the product of various miscalculation. You put your subjects in a tough predicament with this method, for if they are to point out the falsehood, they may appear self-justifying and as a consequence, generate misgiving. On the other hand, if they are to set it aside, it may very well worsen their condition depending on the state of affairs. Lastly, never overlook your high standing and do not allow your good name to grow uninteresting, for variety is the spice of life and you shall breathe new life into your character to keep it bright.

Further Reading

Devices of Persuasion (Part 2)

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Preface

This is the second part of Coaxing Devices. A piece of writing conferring about various stratagems of persuasion; a facet of cunning that sways and convinces people to make the decision you desire.

In the first part of this essay, I will break down and analyse the craft of Intimation, drawing reference to Art of Seduction; The Art of Insinuation, a device like no other as there is no possible safeguarding course of action that you can engage in to counteract its potency.

In the succeeding part, I shall break down Law 13; Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, a worthy addition to Intimation. People are inherently selfish, this verity allows you to leverage their self-centeredness through the strategic use of charm and entreaty to lower their opposition.

Employing Intimations

Insinuation is the most unparalleled mode of persuasion and influence. One indefinite suggestion and you have left your mark. An intimation is difficult to catch as it is so understated. It does not manifest straight away, only days later, and when it does it may show itself to be their own thought. Its efficacy makes it one of the most vigorous weapons you could use. It has, furthermore, a unique way of imparting its substance through brave statements accompanied by withdrawal and apologia. Moreover, trite and commonplace talk is coupled with enticing body language and equivocal comments. Intimation is its own expression and this compound is the prescription that penetrates the unconscious.

Direct means are not as effectual in matters of persuasion and influence, being straightforward about your wants and needs is impolitic and foolish yet most people do not know better. Words carry bias and that bias is competing with an extensive stream of predetermined ideology that is already present in the individual’s psychology. So, there is a conflict of preconceived ideas and newly harvested bias. Set out to prevail on people and they will grudge you for it, with the thought that they lack the capacity for conclusiveness. No competent persuader, be it with women or business matters, without becoming adept in the art of intimation.

Intimation is straightforward, all it takes is one trite comment and a seed of suggestion is sowed. The very delicacy of an intimation does not make it unforgettable in its application, it only comes to be prevalent as it grows and pervades the psychology of the subject. The effect is such that it seems as if it sprung up artlessly in a natural manner which makes it all the more astute. It will seem to the subject, furthermore, as if it has been present ahead of time. The inkling sinks in and an elusive crack pierces their vulnerability. A hint dropped in an animated discussion, for instance, is one such convenient smokescreen. One principal key to bear in mind is the vagueness of words, their indefiniteness makes them compelling and inscrutable, leaving your subject somewhat bemused and simultaneously swayed.

Upon leading off an interaction, implying things that people yearn to hear will give you a sufficient impetus for persuasion, with the potentiality for delight and excitement or affluence. This should not be misused and hackneyed, though, for this will disintegrate your course of action. This should be utilised mainly in the opening when their guard is up. There is no exception, just about every individual is deprived of something in life, there is always a sparseness somewhere whether by a large or small margin. Perhaps a rapture of delight that has not come to fruition or a deficiency in adventure. You can identify their insufficiencies by opening them up, and you open them up through divergent suggestion, intimation, and understated inquiry.

By way of illustration, a simple tumble of the tongue that is seemingly a closing remark, or an attractive and enticing source of information, or a declaration that is swiftly followed by apologia. Having a sense of repartee with people arms you with an ideal front, when people are in contemplation, your insinuation is that much more imperceptible. If they are in a state of ignorance, either very loosened up or preoccupied, this is a good opportunity to drop an intimation. People have an organic opposition by their nature, and a mere implication circumvents this verity and appears to them to be something that has arisen inherently. This is the degree to which a simple implication expands, its substance takes a creation of its own.

People’s creative power and wishful fantasy is a lever that can be utilised through an attractive and alluring concept or thought, but to do so you should seize their imaginativeness and get it roused. When a deep yearning is entertained through your persuasion, people are apt to consider and harbour it further. One shall remember, as well, that intimation is the subtle communication of desire and joy. The world lacks secrecy, your yearnings and sentiments are too overt, leaving no space for plotting and mystery. People pine for paradox and unsolved problems, for it gets their imagination spinning, and when you are the person who is stimulating such suspicion, you radiate an aura of charm and appeal that is deprived in our culture.

Body language is also one more device you should be alert and watchful of. Words are a great device for intimation, but body signals, gazes, and glances are all consequential. Become a student of human nature, and learn to scrutinise body language to assimilate its significance. Frankly, your glances and stares are continually being interpreted, thus, transfer the implications to your benefit. If you want to interpret one’s intentions or feelings, observe their body language more than their words, for words are easier to control than a gesture. Your manner of conduct, then, is also of import, your look in your eyes should be one of temptation and charm, and your articulation not absurd.

Leverage People’s Selfishness

“Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude.” – Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power

In matters of support, it is more sensible to charm the other’s selfishness other than their appreciation or leniency. Men are so personal and prejudiced that all that is of interest is themselves, other than that, there is not much. Man will, with pleasure, disregard any acknowledgement as this is deemed a dreadful responsibility for him, and to compound it, he does not feel indebted to be thankful. You see, people of this kind are best dealt with in the most succinct time by making it understandably evident that your success is in their interest to advance it.

The pragmatic person is ideally spoken to pragmatically, for that manner is most suitable for his understanding. The brave and tough ought to treat the feeble and inadequate with their vigour, exposing them to acute hardship in order to pull them out of their timidity. The means you use to get to that point is of your choosing, however, self-interest is an impelling force that drives people to act outside their supposed normal ruts. When their demands are met through tempting intrigue, their opposition will be relinquished. If you are putting forward an invitation for support, you are dealing with a person who has requirements to be met. If your capacity to discern his character is poor, you will not be successful in your entreat. You should, therefore, get to know their wants and needs carefully, so as not to muddle your interest with his as that will only result in fiasco.

You can understand one’s psychology through personal inquiry, what is his prestige and social position? Is he despised or conceited? What is his reputation like from what he has told you? Can you discern his motives, is he money-oriented? This is an essential course of action to make as close a precise assessment as possible. To give an example, a despised person will not have a good name, and there is a good chance he may be wrapped up in himself. He may be despised as a result of having little to no acclaim and an incapacity to win people’s heart through charming appeal. On the other hand, a person who is driven by money will be obstinate and strong-willed, more often than not requiring more than appeal to satisfy and thus, a more thorough recognition of their shortcomings will be adequate to soften their aversion and benefit from his flaws.

The various distinctions between you and the person can be detoured by drawing attention to his needs and making them alluring enough so as to entice him. His needs and wants should be given a certain emphasis so as to seem like there is something substantial to be gained for him, while concurrently not disclosing your motives to him as this will unsettle him and conflict with his. Concealment of your motives conveys to him the impression that his needs correspond to yours, and thus presumes that both he and you will emerge with a positive result. To consider the other person’s inclinations and disposition, clear any sentiment that shrouds veracity.