Choose Your Friends ….they should become so after being examined by discretion, tested by fortune and certified not simply by your will but your understanding. Although the most important thing in life, it’s usually the one over which least care is taken: some are forced upon us, most are the result of pure chance.Continue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Choose Your Friends (Baltasar Graciáno)”
Tag Archives: RKS literature
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Know How to Deflect Trouble to Someone Else (Baltasar Graciáno)
Know How to Deflect Trouble to Someone Else Having a shield against ill will is a great trick of rulers. To have someone else who can be criticized for mistakes and chastised by gossipmongers is a sign of superior skill, not lack of competence as malice thinks. Have a fall guy, therefore, someone who, atContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Know How to Deflect Trouble to Someone Else (Baltasar Graciáno)”
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Don’t Expose Your Sore Finger (Baltasar Graciáno)
Don’t Expose Your Sore Finger ….or everything will knock against it. Don’t complain about your sore points, for malice always attacks where our weaknesses hurt the most. Getting annoyed will only serve to spur on someone else’s enjoyment. The ill intentioned are always searching for a pretext to get your back up. Their dart likeContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Don’t Expose Your Sore Finger (Baltasar Graciáno)”
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Live According to the Common Practice (Baltasar Gracián)
Live According to the Common Practice You shouldn’t reason and debate in an old-fashioned way and your taste should be up-to-the-minute. Telling the truth and keeping your word are unknown today and seem like things from the past. Good men, although always loved, seem relics of better times, and so even if there happen toContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Live According to the Common Practice (Baltasar Gracián)”
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Get Used to the Bad Temperaments of Those You Deal With (Baltasar Gracián)
Get Used to the Bad Temperaments of Those You Deal With ..like getting used to ugly faces. This is advisable in situations of dependency. There are horrible people you can neither live with nor live without. It’s a necessary skill, therefore to get used to them, as to ugliness, so you’re not surprised each timeContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Get Used to the Bad Temperaments of Those You Deal With (Baltasar Gracián)”
RKS Literature: What’s in a Name? (James Fenimore Cooper)
“I’m an admirer of names, though the Christian fashions fall far below savage customs in this particular. The biggest coward I ever knew as called Lyon; and his wife, Patience, would scold you out of hearing in less time than a hunted deer would run a rod. With an Indian tis’ a matter of conscience;Continue reading “RKS Literature: What’s in a Name? (James Fenimore Cooper)”
RKS LITERATURE: How to Use Your Enemies: Be Lofty
Let Your Manner Be Lofty A great man’s conduct should not be petty. You should never go into minute details, especially with unpleasant things, because although it’s an advantage to notice everything casually, it isn’t to want to inquire into every last thing. Triviality is annoying, and in a person’s character, tedious. Baltasar Gracián, HowContinue reading “RKS LITERATURE: How to Use Your Enemies: Be Lofty”
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies : Flattery More Harmful Than Hatred (Baltasar Gracián)
Flattery More Harmful Than Hatred Enemies are of more use to the wise man than friends are to the fool. Ill will usually levels mountains of difficulty which goodwill would balk at tackling. The greatness of many has been fashioned thanks to malicious enemies. Flattery is more harmful than hatred, for the latter is anContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies : Flattery More Harmful Than Hatred (Baltasar Gracián)”
RKS Literature: “How to Use Your Enemies”: Vary Your Procedure (Baltasar Gracián)
Vary Your Procedure Not always the same way, so as to confound those observing you, especially if they are rivals. Don’t always fulfil your declared intentions, for others will seize on your predictability, anticipating and frustrating your actions. It’s easy to kill a bird that flies straight, but not one that twists and turns. ButContinue reading “RKS Literature: “How to Use Your Enemies”: Vary Your Procedure (Baltasar Gracián)”
RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Avoid Outdoing Your Superior (Baltasar Gracián)
Avoid Outdoing Your Superior All triumphs are despised, and triumphing over your superior is either stupid or fatal. Superiority has always been detested, especially by our superiors. Princes like to be helped but not surpassed. Advice should be offered as if a reminder of what they’ve forgotten, not an insight what they’ve never had. BaltasarContinue reading “RKS Literature: How to Use Your Enemies: Avoid Outdoing Your Superior (Baltasar Gracián)”
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