Never outshine your master
Let those above you feel superior. In your desire to please or impress them, don’t go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite—inspire fear and insecurity.
Put less trust in friends, and use your enemies
Friends will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. Hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal because he has more to prove.
Protect your reputation with your life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power. With your reputation, you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable and will be attacked on all sides.
Avoid the unlucky and unhappy
Did you know that you can die from someone else’s misery—emotional states are as infectious as diseases? You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. Watch out before you help.
Let people come to you
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains—then attack.
Always be the one who attracts attention
Out of sight, out of mind. Everything is judged by its appearance; what are unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out.
Go there as a friend but work as a spy
Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Never sit and wait for your enemy to strike first.
Do not offend the wrong person
Know who you are dealing with. Know who you should offend and who you shouldn’t. There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way.
Do not commit to anyone
Do not be a fool. the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others—playing people against one another, making them pursue you.
Sit on the table where you are respected
Be where you are respected. Never accept to settle for less when you know you are more than what is being offered. Choose what you stand for and stick to it.
