These maxims are observations and deductions I've made on strategy and human behaviour, this piece being a continuation of the maxims I published back in December.

I think you guys will enjoy it, especially those who struggle to read my usual denser, lengthier prose. I'll leave 25 maxims here, with a further 43 (68 total) available on my blog. Enjoy!

  1. – Hijacking is a special kind of Machiavellianism, for it wears the agenda of another whilst pursuing its own, like a metaphorical Russian doll, it hides an agenda within an agenda.

  2. – Read between the lines, if you can deduce why somebody is asking a question and you do not like the reasoning for their question, do not deign an answer. Ignore or dismiss traps, do not fall into them.

  3. – When someone attempts to undermine rather than refute you, they’re the enemy.

  4. – Undermining is personal, refutation isn’t. Refutation communicates “I believe you’re wrong due to the findings of the available evidence”. Undermining communicates “I’m going to humiliate you because your opinions invoke my disdain.” Refutations are logical retorts, undermining is interrelational violence. Learn to distinguish between the two, for they oft appear similar.

  5. – Bending the rules is no more than the abuse of technicality to circumvent the spirit of the rule without violating its letter.

  6. – Love doesn’t conquer psychopathy.

  7. – Only pick fights that’ll yield profit; pettiness will erode your credibility, fighting on many fronts will exhaust you.

  8. – The crab bucket mentality is pervasive, a jealous friend is a betrayal waiting to happen. Know when to cut the gangrenous limb, do not allow the sentimental nostalgia to sustain poisonous ties.

  9. – If you are drawn into something emotionally, the odds of damaging your reputation and engaging in regrettable acts exponentially increases.

  10. – Many arrogant men believe anger is the safe emotion they can display without real consequence, this belief is folly. Man should endeavour to be mindful, for this will allow him to rein in unruly emotion.

  11. – He who does not control his emotions is puppeteered by them. Strict adherence to emotional data is tactical death, whilst ignoring emotion idiotic, and suppressing it tiresome. As such, emotion should be channelled, not ignored or obeyed.

  12. – On national anniversaries of loss or celebration, people are at their most vulnerable. It is at times of heightened cultural emotivity that reflection takes root in the mediocre, and filled with regret, the populace is at their most manipulable.

  13. – Self-deprecation builds trust, when people see even minor imperfections, they’re endeared by the transparency.

  14. – People are susceptible to negativity bias, if something is negative, it is more likely to be believed without rigorous investigation. Acts of virtue come with a burden of proof, acts of unvirtue do not.

  15. – Appear easily provoked, then ignore those who see it as an opportunity to attack; this is good for enticing the lurking foe to reveal himself. Present an illusion of disordered vulnerability, seduce an attack, and by the time your foe realises the ruse it is too late, he has revealed himself.

  16. – An effective strategist knows when to utilise counterintuitive gambits to get a better view of the battlefield. For example, if you are strong in one area, make your enemy think you are weak. If you are weak in an area, make your enemy think you are strong. If you confuse the enemy’s data points, he cannot successfully analyse you. If he cannot analyse you, he cannot defeat you.

  17. – Be wary the plausible deniability of jokes, “it’s just a joke” is the most common phrase used to disguise a transgression. All good jokes contain truth, as such if one crosses your boundaries under the guise of humour, they are still trespassing, humour but smoke and mirrors for such trespass.

  18. – He who acts boldly under the cloak of sadistic humour is not to be trusted, for humour is the jester’s shield and sword.

  19. – People who get caught doing something they shouldn’t do not reveal the complete truth at once. they opt to reveal the least self-incriminating aspects first.

  20. – The objective of trickle truth is damage control, to minimise the damage done to one’s reputation when a loss of reputation is all but unavoidable.

  21. – As lies compound, trust erodes, and the more difficult it becomes to lie. The more it is perceived that you lie, the better you must be at lying to successfully do so. As such, compulsive lying is tactically unsound – lie only when necessary.

  22. – Trust can be earned and spent, but if you spend too much too quickly, your account with the betrayed individual is permanently closed, no matter what you do, you will always be spent.

  23. – People love to be seduced, but they do not like to know how. Honesty doesn’t pay when transparency compromises the beauty of the illusion that sustains you. Like any magic trick, people enjoy the perception of mystery, not what creates it.

  24. – Apply seduction to romance or sales, never reveal your tricks. Give your pitch, not your essence.

  25. – Effortlessness and dismissiveness foster an appearance of strength.

FULL ARTICLE: http://illimitablemen.com/2016/03/07/machiavellian-maxims-part-2/