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141 " But improvisation will only bring you as far as the next crisis, and is never a substitute for thinking several steps ahead and planning to the end. "
― Robert Greene , The 48 Laws of Power
142 " Acted like a king to be treated like one. "
143 " In a world growing increasingly banal and familiar, what seems enigmatic instantly draws attention. Never make it too clear what you are doing or about to do. Do not show all your cards. An air of mystery heightens your presence; it also creates anticipation—everyone "
144 " Every time I bestow a vacant office I make a hundred discontented persons and one ingrate. Louis XIV, 1638-1715 "
145 " Instead of spending your time dreaming of your plan’s happy ending, you must work on calculating every possible permutation and pitfall that might emerge in it. "
146 " The only means to gain one’s ends with people are force and cunning. Love also, they say; but that is to wait for sunshine, and life needs every moment. JOHANN VON GOETHE, 1749–1832 You "
147 " Inter action with boldness "
148 " Power goes to those who end the revolution. Not the one who starts it. "
149 " To some people the notion of consciously playing power games—no matter how indirect—seems evil, asocial, a relic of the past. 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. "
150 " Spectacle and entertainment, clearly, are excellent devices to conceal your intentions, but they cannot be used indefinitely. The public grows tired and suspicious, and eventually catches on to the trick. "
151 " Years later, a Japanese visitor tried to apologize to Mao for his country’s invasion of China. Mao interrupted, “Should I not thank you instead?” Without a worthy opponent, he explained, a man or group cannot grow stronger. Mao’s "
152 " If you are not in danger,” says Sun-tzu, “do not fight. "
153 " What good is it to have the greatest dream in the world if others reap the benefits and the glory? Never lose your head over a vague, open-ended dream—plan to the end. OBSERVANCE "
154 " Anger is the most destructive of emotional responses, for it clouds your vision the most. It "
155 " The most important of these skills, and power’s crucial foundation, is the ability to master your emotions. An emotional response to a situation is the single greatest barrier to power, a mistake that will cost you a lot more than any temporary satisfaction you might gain by expressing your feelings. Emotions cloud reason, and if you cannot see the situation clearly, you cannot prepare for and respond to it with any degree of control. "
156 " Power depends on appearing larger than other people, "
157 " Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies. Voltaire, 1694-1778 "
158 " Human tongue is a beast that few can master "
159 " to the end, no matter what it is you are considering. Often enough, God gives a man a glimpse of happiness, and then utterly ruins him. THE HISTORIES, HERODOTUS, FIFTH CENTURY B.C. Indians "
160 " The character you seem to have been born with is not necessarily who you are; beyond the characteristics you have inherited, your parents, your friends, and your peers have helped to shape your personality. The Promethean task of the powerful is to take control of the process, to stop allowing others that ability to limit and mold them. Remake yourself into a character of power. Working on yourself like clay should be one of your greatest and most pleasurable life tasks. It makes you in essence an artist — an artist creating yourself. "