More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Attempts to win the master’s favor, then, had to be subtle.
“Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.”
They believe they can opt out of the game by behaving in ways that have nothing to do with power. You must beware of such people, for while they express such opinions outwardly, they are often among the most adept players at power.
Once again, those who make a show or display of innocence are the least innocent of all.
The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by a wise man can kill even babes in the womb.
In fact, the better you are at dealing with power, the better friend, lover, husband, wife, and person you become.
If you are trying to destroy an enemy who has hurt you, far better to keep him off-guard by feigning friendliness than showing your anger.
You cannot repress anger or love, or avoid feeling them, and you should not try. But you should be careful about how you express them, and most important, they should never influence your plans and strategies in any way.
“I shall never repeat such a mistake; I shall never fall into such a trap again.”
You cannot succeed at deception unless you take a somewhat distanced approach to yourself—unless you can be many different people, wearing the mask that the day and the moment
Yet this light has a price: in a world that is ever more banal, that has had its mystery and myth squeezed out of it, we secretly crave enigmas, people or things that cannot be instantly interpreted, seized, and consumed.
