ii. Character and Intellect
Character and intellect are the two poles of our ability; one without the other only takes us halfway to happiness. Intellect alone is not enough—character is also required. Conversely, the fool’s misfortune is failing to secure the position, job, neighborhood, or social circle that truly suits him.
iii. Keep Matters in Suspense for a While
Achievements gain admiration when there is an element of novelty and mystery. It is both pointless and dull to reveal all your cards at once. By not immediately declaring your intentions, you spark anticipation, especially when your status attracts wide attention. Mix in a little mystery, which itself inspires respect. When you do explain, do not be overly explicit, just as you do not lay bare your deepest thoughts in casual conversation. Careful silence is the inner sanctum of worldly wisdom. A declared decision is never held in high esteem—it simply invites criticism. And if it fails, you are doubly unfortunate. Moreover, you mimic the divine by prompting others to wonder and watch.
iv. Knowledge and Courage
Knowledge and courage are the twin pillars of greatness. They grant a kind of immortality because they themselves endure. Each of us is defined by what we know, and those who possess wisdom can accomplish anything. Someone without knowledge is like a world without light. Wisdom pairs with strength, like eyes guiding hands. But knowledge without courage is sterile.
v. Create a Sense of Dependence
It is not someone who merely adorns but someone who adores that creates a “divinity.” A wise person would rather see people needing him than thanking him. Keeping them hovering in expectation is strategic, while relying on their gratitude is naïve—hope has a good memory, gratitude a poor one. Dependence brings more benefit than politeness. Once someone’s thirst is quenched, they turn away from the well; once an orange is fully squeezed, it drops from the golden plate into the trash. When dependence disappears, so do good behavior and respect. One key lesson is to preserve hope without fully satisfying it, so that you remain essential, even to a patron on the throne. But do not take silence to an extreme; you do not want to let another’s failing become permanent just so you can profit.
vi. A Person at Their Peak
We are not born complete; daily, we develop our personal and professional selves until reaching the summit of what we can do and who we can be. You see it in someone’s refined taste, clear thinking, mature judgment, and resolute will. Some people never become fully realized—something is always missing—while others ripen late. But once a person is complete—wise in words, prudent in action—others admit them into their intimate circles, and even seek them out.
vii. Avoid Winning Over Your Superiors
All victories can breed resentment, and triumphing over someone above you is either foolish or destructive. We naturally resent anyone’s superiority—doubly so if it surpasses someone already in authority. Prudence can soften certain advantages; for example, modest attire can hide striking good looks. Some superiors will allow you to outdo them in luck or geniality, but never in intelligence—least of all a ruler. Good sense is regarded as the sovereign’s prerogative, and to surpass it is an act of disloyalty. A king accepts help but not inferiority; he wants to see your advice as reminding him of something he forgot, not showing him what he never saw. Even the stars, though children of the sun, do not try to rival the sun’s brilliance.
viii. To Be Without Passions
This is a unique privilege belonging to the highest order of mind. A lofty position can redeem a person from fleeting, low impulses. No rule is greater than self-command—a triumph of free will. While passion dominates character, seeking a lofty role may not be wise, and the loftier it is, the more dangerous. Overcoming your passions is the surest way to avoid scandals, and also the fastest way to redeem your reputation when lost.
ix. Avoid the Faults of Your Nation
Water takes on the properties—good or bad—of the soil it passes through. Similarly, people pick up the traits of the land where they are born. Some benefit more than others because their native climate is more favorable. Yet every culture, even the most refined, has its typical flaws, criticized by other nations either to boast or to warn. A triumph of intelligence is to correct or at least conceal such national failings. This makes you stand out favorably, for no one expects it of you. There are also family-specific flaws, and those tied to position, profession, or age. Combined and unguarded, they can make one monstrous.
x. Fortune and Fame
Fortune is fickle; fame can be enduring. Fortune is for life, fame often follows afterward. One guards you against envy, the other against oblivion. Fortune is pursued—even helped—whereas fame is earned. The desire for fame comes from the best part of us. It has always been a force that leads to extremes—sometimes monstrous, sometimes splendid.
xi. Seek Out Those Who Can Teach You
Let friendly interaction become a school of knowledge; let conversation be a form of education. Thus, you make your friends your teachers, uniting the pleasure of socializing with the benefit of instruction. Sensible people enjoy both: they gather praise from what they share and knowledge from what they hear. We are naturally drawn to others from self-interest, but here the interest is more elevated. The wise visit the circles of the great not as temples of vanity, but as arenas of refined behavior. Some people have reputations for cultivated worldliness because they themselves embody excellence and surround themselves with an “academy” of well-educated, discerning companions.