When you reveal the inner workings of your creation, you become just one more mortal among others.

What is understandable is not awe-inspiring — we tell ourselves we could do as well if we had the money and time.

The idea of sprezzatura is relevant to all forms of power, for power depends vitally on appearances and the illusions you create.

Your public actions are like artworks: They must have visual appeal, must create anticipation, even entertain.

Seeing them trying so hard breaks the illusion.

It also makes us uncomfortable.

Calm, graceful performers set us at ease, creating the illusion that they are not acting but being natural and themselves, even when everything they are doing involves labor and practice.

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