Three Good Thingscast

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.

Reputation is the cornerstone of power through which you can intimidate and even win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable. 

As Sun-Tsu mentions in the Art of War, make your reputation (position) unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by seeking or creating vulnerabilities in their own reputations. 

Then stand aside and let public opinion do what it will.

When trying to impress with words, the more you say, the more common and out of control you appear. Even if you are saying something meaningless it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Keep your enemies off-balance 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 rabbit hole and dazzle them with enough smoke and mirrors and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

Be wary of friends as the risk of betrayal is high for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled. Hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

Law 1: Never Outshine the Master

You have survived 100% of your worst days, now your best days are on the way. Take heart, there's more and better things headed for your life.