CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS; "Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late." .....Robert Greene
This law like the previous two i have reviewed also have two cases illustrating the transgression and observance of the law. We see the transgression of the law in the story of the Marquis de Sevigne, young and inexperienced in the art of love. He confided in the infamous courtesan of seventeenth-century France, Ninon de Lenclos, to instruct him on how to seduce a difficult young countess. She made him follow a plan over a number of weeks, where the Marquis would be appearing in public always surrounded by beautiful women, in the very places the countess would be expected to see him. He was supposed to assume an air of nonchalance. This increased the jealousy of the young countess, who was not sure of his interest in her. One day the Marquis, unable to control his passion, broke from Ninon’s plan, and blurted out to the countess that he loved her. After this admission, the countess no longer found him interesting and avoided him.
Regarding the observance of the law, we see the story of Otto von Bismarck, who was a deputy in the Prussian parliament at a time when many fellow deputies thought it was possible to go to war against Austria and defeat it. Bismarck knew the Prussian army was not prepared, so he devised a clever way to keep the war at bay. He publicly stated his praises for the Austrians and talked about the madness of war. Many deputies changed their votes. Had Bismarck announced his real intentions, arguing it was better to wait now and fight later, he would not have won. Most Prussians wanted to go to war at that moment and mistakenly believed their army to be superior to the Austrians. Had he gone to the king his sincerity would have been doubted. By giving misleading statements about wanting peace and concealing his true purpose, Bismarck’s speech catapulted him to the position of prime minister. He later led the country to war against the Austrians at the right time, when he felt the Prussian army was more capable.
There is a saying in Igbo language that goes thus;'Ka ima nkea, ima nke ozo? (the fact that you know one thing does not mean you know the others.' This saying is usually misunderstood to mean being smarter than the next man is the game but the fact remains that no one knows it all. For every problem, there are over seven (7) billion approaches to solving or countering the solution. Concealing intentions do not only keep enemies far from preparing their defense but also keeps friends in check. The human heart is so secretive and complicated, knowledge of some very key information by friends/team affect their sense of reasoning. If Marquis de Sevigne had kept his intention of seducing the young countess, she would have got so jealous to the point where his wish becomes a command to her. Unfortunately, his passion became uncontrollable, he split the beans and lost the chance. Bismarck on the other hand concealed his intention using a smoke screen with false sincerity to postpone the war for a time when the Perussian army would be able to defeat the Austrian army. He succeeded and was promoted. This law so far remains a very vital law for all humans whether in power or not. These nuggets of wisdom can come in handy;
This law like the previous two i have reviewed also have two cases illustrating the transgression and observance of the law. We see the transgression of the law in the story of the Marquis de Sevigne, young and inexperienced in the art of love. He confided in the infamous courtesan of seventeenth-century France, Ninon de Lenclos, to instruct him on how to seduce a difficult young countess. She made him follow a plan over a number of weeks, where the Marquis would be appearing in public always surrounded by beautiful women, in the very places the countess would be expected to see him. He was supposed to assume an air of nonchalance. This increased the jealousy of the young countess, who was not sure of his interest in her. One day the Marquis, unable to control his passion, broke from Ninon’s plan, and blurted out to the countess that he loved her. After this admission, the countess no longer found him interesting and avoided him.
Regarding the observance of the law, we see the story of Otto von Bismarck, who was a deputy in the Prussian parliament at a time when many fellow deputies thought it was possible to go to war against Austria and defeat it. Bismarck knew the Prussian army was not prepared, so he devised a clever way to keep the war at bay. He publicly stated his praises for the Austrians and talked about the madness of war. Many deputies changed their votes. Had Bismarck announced his real intentions, arguing it was better to wait now and fight later, he would not have won. Most Prussians wanted to go to war at that moment and mistakenly believed their army to be superior to the Austrians. Had he gone to the king his sincerity would have been doubted. By giving misleading statements about wanting peace and concealing his true purpose, Bismarck’s speech catapulted him to the position of prime minister. He later led the country to war against the Austrians at the right time, when he felt the Prussian army was more capable.
There is a saying in Igbo language that goes thus;'Ka ima nkea, ima nke ozo? (the fact that you know one thing does not mean you know the others.' This saying is usually misunderstood to mean being smarter than the next man is the game but the fact remains that no one knows it all. For every problem, there are over seven (7) billion approaches to solving or countering the solution. Concealing intentions do not only keep enemies far from preparing their defense but also keeps friends in check. The human heart is so secretive and complicated, knowledge of some very key information by friends/team affect their sense of reasoning. If Marquis de Sevigne had kept his intention of seducing the young countess, she would have got so jealous to the point where his wish becomes a command to her. Unfortunately, his passion became uncontrollable, he split the beans and lost the chance. Bismarck on the other hand concealed his intention using a smoke screen with false sincerity to postpone the war for a time when the Perussian army would be able to defeat the Austrian army. He succeeded and was promoted. This law so far remains a very vital law for all humans whether in power or not. These nuggets of wisdom can come in handy;
- Use decoyed objects of desire and red herrings to throw people off scent.
- Use smoke screens (a poker face) to disguise your actions.
- False sincerity is one powerful tool that will send your rivals on a wild goose chase.
- Publicly declare your false intentions to give misleading signals.
- A noble gesture can be a smoke screen to hide your true intentions.
- Blend in and people will be less suspicious.
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