Arquivo do Autor: Marcos Paulo

#24 – Play the perfect courtier “The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the … Continue lendo →

#23 – Concentrate your forces “Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another — intensity … Continue lendo →

#22 – Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power “When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his … Continue lendo →

#21 – Play a sucker to catch a sucker — seem dumber than your mark “No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick, then, is to make your victims feel smart — and not just smart, but smarter … Continue lendo →

#20 – Do not commit to anyone “It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause by yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others — playing people … Continue lendo →

#19 – Know who you’re dealing with — do not offend the wrong person “There are many different kids of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. … Continue lendo →

#18 – Do not build fortresses to protect yourself — isolation is dangerous “The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere — everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than … Continue lendo →

#17 – Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability “Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be … Continue lendo →

#16 – Use absence to increase respect and honor “Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal … Continue lendo →

#15 – Crush your enemy totally “All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it … Continue lendo →

#14 – Pose as a friend, 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 … Continue lendo →

#13 – When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude “If you need to turn to an alley for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He … Continue lendo →

#12 – Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim “One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once … Continue lendo →

#11 – Learn to keep people dependent on you “To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and … Continue lendo →

#10 – Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky “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 precipitating your own disaster. The … Continue lendo →

Win through your actions, never through argument “Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory. The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of … Continue lendo →

#8 – Make other people come to you — use bait if necessary “When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own … Continue lendo →

#7 – Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit “Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, … Continue lendo →