PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END 计划要从头到尾全面
The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacle, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the wins to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.
MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS 举重若轻
Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work-it only raises questions and doubts. If you have done this so easy, so do they.
THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS
你的与众不同在于头脑不是表面
If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you wok down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.
WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT不图嘴上的痛快–赢在行动上
Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a terrible victory: It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
MASTER THE ART OF TIMING 时机很重要–如果你很着急那可能说明时机没到
Never seem to be in a hurry-hurry, a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.
AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN’S SHOES 不追逐别人的影子
What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after: If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course.
WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-I NTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE 寻求别人帮助时，引导他们的兴趣，不要引导怜悯和感激
If you need to tum to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees some thing to be gained for himself.
PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE 变是个逐渐的过程
Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.
NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT 完美主义者其实是愚蠢主义者
Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.
WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS 心乐诚服
Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.
ASSUME FORMLESSNESS 胜在无形
By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and nothing is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes. However, why not change them to the way you want them to.
