You can never be sure of whom you’re dealing with. A man who is of little importance today can be a person of power tomorrow. We forget a lot in our lives, but rarely forget an insult.
There’s nothing to be gained by insulting a person unnecessarily. Swallow the impulse to offend, even when the other person seems weak. The satisfaction is nothing compared to the danger that someday he or she will be in a position to hurt you.
The ability to measure people and to know who you’re dealing with is the most important skill of all in gathering and conserving power. Without it you’re blind: Not only will you offend the wrong people, you will choose the wrong types to work with, and will think you’re flattering people when you are actually insulting them.
Before embarking in any move, take the measure of your potential opponent. Study people’s weaknesses, the chinks in their armor, their areas of pride and insecurity. Know their ins and outs, before you even decide whether or not to deal with them.
Word of Caution:
When judging and measuring your opponent, never rely on you instincts. They’re inexact indicators, and usually lead to mistakes. Nothing can substitute for gathering concrete knowledge. Study and spy on your opponent no matter how long it takes; this will pay off in the long run.
Don’t trust appearances either! Anyone with a serpent’s heart can use a show of kindness to mask it; a person who is blustery on the outside is often really a coward. Learn to see through appearances and their contradictions. Never trust the image that he or she portrays – it’s completely unreliable!
Excerpted From: The 48 laws of Power, Robert Greene
2007 Shaques Publishing Inc.
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