Keep matters in suspense. Successes that are novel win admiration. Being too obvious is neither useful nor tasteful. By not declaring yourself immediately you will keep people guessing, especially if your position is important enough to awaken expectations. Mystery by its very *arcaneness causes veneration. Even when revealing yourself, avoid total frankness, don't let everyone look inside you. Cautious silence is where prudence takes refuge. Once declared, resolutions are never esteemed, and they lie open to criticism. If they turn out badly, you will be twice unfortunate. If you want people to watch and wait on you, imitate the divinity.
*arcane
known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric
I'm learning a lot of interesting words from this old book (written three hundred years ago). Sorry if you are already familiar with some of these terms, since I am not, I figured I would share the definitions of the words that I don't know.
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2 comments:
yes, all of that makes sense to me, i enjoyed this entry :)
That's a little bit idealistic; even romanticized.
These days -- mysterious people just get left behind and left alone. And if they pursue groups ... then they inherently reveal something about themselves in the act.
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