Men of great abilities are slow to act, for it is easier to avoid occasions for committing yourself than to come well out of a commitment.

Such occasions test your judgment; it is safer to avoid them than to emerge victorious from them.

- Baltasar Gracian,
1601-1658

When the fighting parties are good and tired they will be ripe for the picking.

You can make it a practice, in fact, to stir up quarrels between other people, and then offer to mediate, gaining power as the go-between.

Do not let people drag you into their petty fights and squabbles.

Seem interested and supportive, but find a way to remain neutral;

let others do the fighting while you stand back, watch and wait.

The son will never step out of his father’s shadow unless he adopts the ruthless strategy of Alexander:

disparage the past, create your own kingdom, put the father in the shadows instead of letting him do the same to you.

Fathers envy their sons’ youth and vigor, after all, and their desire is to control and dominate.

The sons of such men tend to become cowed and cautious, terrified of losing what their fathers have gained.

[On those who succeed from nothing]

A desperate urge impels him to succeed — he has nothing to lose by cunning and impetuousness.

This kind of man has reason to believe in himself — to believe that his way of doing things is the best, because, after all, it worked for him.

The overbearing predecessor fills the vistas before you

You have no room to create your own name

To deal with this situation you need to hunt out the vacuums —

those areas in culture that have been left vacant and in which you can become the first and principal figure to shine

Never let yourself be seen as following your predecessor’s path.

If you do you will never surpass him.

You must physically demonstrate your difference, by establishing a style and symbolism that sets you apart.

The young are easily set against the old, since they yearn to make their own place in the world and resent the shadow of their fathers.

You look deep into the souls of others; fathom their inmost desires, values, tastes, spirit;

and you reflect it back to them,

making yourself into a kind of mirror image.

Your ability to reflect their psyche gives you great power over them; they may even feel a tinge of love.