1. Everything is at its acme; especially the art of making one's way in the world. There is more required nowadays to make a single wise man than formerly to make Seven Sages, and more is needed nowadays to deal with a single person than was required with a whole people in former times.
1. Everything is at its peak, particularly the skill of navigating life successfully. Today, it takes more effort to produce one wise person than it once did to create the Seven Sages. Similarly, dealing with a single individual now requires more finesse than managing an entire community in the past.
2. Character and intellect: the two poles of our capacity; one without the other is but halfway to happiness. Intellect sufficeth not, character is also needed. On the other hand, it is the fool's misfortune, to fail in obtaining the position, the employment, the neighbourhood, and the circle of friends that suit him.
2. Character and intelligence are the two pillars of our potential. Having one without the other only gets us halfway to happiness. Intelligence alone isn't enough; character is equally essential. Conversely, it's the misfortune of fools to miss out on the right job, location, and social circle that would suit them best.
3. Keep matters for a time in suspense. Admiration at their novelty heightens the value of your achievements, It is both useless and insipid to play with the cards on the table. If you do not declare yourself immediately, you arouse expectation, especially when the importance of your position makes you the object of general attention. Mix a little mystery with everything, and the very mystery arouses veneration. And when you explain, be not too explicit, just as you do not expose your inmost thoughts in ordinary intercourse. Cautious silence is the holy of holies of worldly wisdom. A resolution declared is never highly thought of; it only leaves room for criticism. And if it happens to fail, you are doubly unfortunate. Besides you imitate the Divine way when you cause men to wonder and watch.
3. Keep things in suspense for a while. When people admire something new, they value your achievements more. It is both useless and dull to play with your cards on the table. If you do not declare yourself at once, you raise expectation. This is especially true when your important position makes you the center of everyone's attention. Mix a little mystery into everything, and the mystery itself earns reverence. When you do explain, do not be too explicit, just as you do not reveal your inmost thoughts in everyday dealings. Careful silence is the holy of holies of worldly wisdom. A decision announced in advance is never highly thought of. It only leaves room for criticism. And if it happens to fail, you are doubly unlucky. Besides, when you make people wonder and watch, you imitate the way of God.
4. Knowledge and courage are the elements of greatness. They give immortality, because they are immortal. Each is as much as he knows, and the wise can do anything. A man without knowledge, a world without light. Wisdom and strength, eyes and hands. Knowledge without courage is sterile.
4. Knowledge and courage are the keys to greatness. They grant immortality because they themselves are immortal. A person's worth is measured by their knowledge, and the wise can accomplish anything. An ignorant person is like a world without light. Wisdom and strength are like eyes and hands. However, knowledge without courage is useless.
5. Create a feeling of dependence. Not he that adorns but he that adores makes a divinity. The wise man would rather see men needing him than thanking him. To keep them on the threshold of hope is diplomatic, to trust to their gratitude boorish; hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one. More is to be got from dependence than from courtesy. He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well, and the orange once sucked falls from the golden platter into the waste-basket. When dependence disappears, good behaviour goes with it as well as respect. Let it be one of the chief lessons of experience to keep hope alive without entirely satisfying it, by preserving it to make oneself always needed even by a patron on the throne. But let not silence be carried to excess lest you go wrong, nor let another's failing grow incurable for the sake of your own advantage.
5. Foster a sense of dependency. It's not the one who decorates, but the one who admires that creates a deity. A wise person prefers to be needed rather than thanked. Keeping others on the brink of hope is strategic, while relying on their gratitude is naive. Hope remembers well, gratitude poorly. Dependency yields more than politeness. Once thirst is quenched, the well is forgotten; a consumed orange is discarded. When dependency fades, so do good behavior and respect. Let experience teach you to keep hope alive without fully satisfying it, ensuring you remain indispensable, even to those in power. However, don't let silence become excessive, lest you err, nor allow another's weakness to worsen for your own benefit.
6. A man at his highest point. We are not born perfect: every day we develop in our personality and in our calling till we reach the highest point of our completed being, to the full round of our accomplishments, of our excellences. This is known by the purity of our taste, the clearness of our thought, the maturity of our judgment, and the firmness of our will. Some never arrive at being complete; somewhat is always awanting: others ripen late. The complete man, wise in speech, prudent in act, is admitted to the familiar intimacy of discreet persons, is even sought for by them.
6. A person at their peak. We aren't born perfect. Each day, we grow in character and skill until we reach our full potential, the pinnacle of our abilities and strengths. This is evident in our refined tastes, clear thinking, mature judgment, and unwavering resolve. Some never achieve their full potential; something is always lacking. Others bloom late. The well-rounded individual, wise in speech and prudent in action, is welcomed into the inner circles of discerning people and is often sought after by them.
7. Avoid victories over superiors. All victories breed hate, and that over your superior is foolish or fatal. Superiority is always detested, à fortiori superiority over superiority. Caution can gloss over common advantages; for example, good looks may be cloaked by careless attire. There be some that will grant you precedence in good luck or good temper, but none in good sense, least of all a prince; for good sense is a royal prerogative, any claim to that is a case of lèse majesté. They are princes, and wish to be so in that most princely of qualities. They will allow a man to help them but not to surpass them, and will have any advice tendered them appear like a recollection of something they have forgotten rather than as a guide to something they cannot find. The stars teach us this finesse with happy tact; though they are his children and brilliant like him, they never rival the brilliancy of the sun.
7. Avoid victories over your superiors. All victories breed hatred, and a victory over your superior is foolish or fatal. Superiority is always hated, and superiority over a superior all the more. Caution can disguise ordinary advantages. For example, good looks can be hidden by careless dress. Some people will grant that you surpass them in good luck or good temper, but no one will grant it in good sense, least of all a prince. Good sense is a royal privilege, and any claim to it is lèse majesté, a crime against the crown. They are princes, and they want to be princes in that most princely of qualities. They will let a man help them, but not surpass them. They want any advice given to them to seem like a reminder of something they had forgotten, not a guide to something they could not find. The stars teach us this subtle tact with fine grace. Though they are the sun's children and shine like him, they never rival his brilliance.
8. To be without passions. ’Tis a privilege of the highest order of mind. Their very eminence redeems them from being affected by transient and low impulses. There is no higher rule than that over oneself, over one's impulses: there is the triumph of free will. While passion rules the character, no aiming at high office; the less the higher. It is the only refined way of avoiding scandals; nay, ’tis the shortest way back to good repute.
8. Mastering your emotions. The ability to control one's emotions is a hallmark of great minds. Their superiority allows them to rise above fleeting and petty impulses. Self-control, especially over one's emotions, is the highest form of discipline and the true victory of free will. When emotions dominate, one cannot aspire to positions of power; the more prestigious the role, the more crucial this control becomes. Emotional mastery is not only the most refined way to avoid scandals but also the quickest path to restoring one's reputation.
9. Avoid the faults of your nation. Water shares the good or bad qualities of the strata through which it flows, and man those of the climate in which he is born. Some owe more than others to their native land, because there is a more favourable sky in the zenith. There is not a nation even among the most civilised that has not some fault peculiar to itself which other nations blame by way of boast or as a warning. ’Tis a triumph of cleverness to correct in oneself such national failings, or even to hide them: you get great credit for being unique among your fellows, and as it is less expected of you it is esteemed the more. There are also family failings as well as faults of position, of office or of age. If these all meet in one person and are not carefully guarded against, they make an intolerable monster.
9. Transcend your cultural shortcomings. People, like water, are shaped by their environment. Some benefit more from their birthplace than others, thanks to more favorable conditions. Every nation, even the most advanced, has its unique flaws that others criticize or use as cautionary tales. It's a mark of intelligence to recognize and address these national weaknesses, or at least conceal them. You'll earn respect for standing out among your peers, and since it's unexpected, it's valued even more. There are also familial quirks, as well as flaws tied to social status, profession, or age. If these all converge in one person without careful management, the result can be unbearable.
10. Fortune and fame. Where the one is fickle the other is enduring. The first for life, the second afterwards; the one against envy, the other against oblivion. Fortune is desired, at times assisted: fame is earned. The desire for fame springs from man's best part. It was and is the sister of the giants; it always goes to extremes—horrible monsters or brilliant prodigies.
10. Fortune and fame: one is fickle, the other enduring. Fortune lasts a lifetime, while fame lives on after death. Fortune shields against envy, fame against being forgotten. People crave fortune and sometimes receive help in getting it, but fame must be earned. The desire for fame comes from humanity's noblest instincts. Fame has always been linked to extremes—it creates either notorious villains or legendary heroes.
11. Cultivate those who can teach you. Let friendly intercourse be a school of knowledge, and culture be taught through conversation: thus you make your friends your teachers and mingle the pleasures of conversation with the advantages of instruction. Sensible persons thus enjoy alternating pleasures: they reap applause for what they say, and gain instruction from what they hear. We are always attracted to others by our own interest, but in this case it is of a higher kind. Wise men frequent the houses of great noblemen not because they are temples of vanity, but as theatres of good breeding. There be gentlemen who have the credit of worldly wisdom, because they are not only themselves oracles of all nobleness by their example and their behaviour, but those who surround them form a well-bred academy of worldly wisdom of the best and noblest kind.
11. Surround yourself with those who can teach you. Make social interactions a learning experience, where conversation becomes a means of education. This way, you transform your friends into mentors, blending the joy of socializing with the benefits of learning. Intelligent individuals appreciate this dual advantage: they receive praise for their contributions while gaining knowledge from others. We naturally gravitate towards people who serve our interests, but in this case, the interest is of a higher nature. Wise individuals seek out the company of accomplished people not for shallow reasons, but to experience and learn from their refined conduct. Some individuals are known for their worldly wisdom, not only because they embody nobility through their actions and behavior, but also because they cultivate an environment where those around them form a sophisticated circle of practical and noble wisdom.
12. Nature and art: material and workmanship. There is no beauty unadorned and no excellence that would not become barbaric if it were not supported by artifice: this remedies the evil and improves the good. Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art. Without this the best of natural dispositions is uncultured, and half is lacking to any excellence if training is absent. Every one has something unpolished without artificial training, and every kind of excellence needs some polish.
12. Nature and art: substance and skill. True beauty is never unadorned, and excellence becomes crude without the support of skill. Artifice enhances the good and corrects the flaws. Nature rarely provides perfection; we must turn to art to achieve it. Without cultivation, even the best natural talents remain rough. Excellence is incomplete without proper training. Everyone has rough edges that need refining, and every form of excellence requires polishing.
13. Act sometimes on second thoughts, sometimes on first impulse. Man's life is a warfare against the malice of men. Sagacity fights with strategic changes of intention: it never does what it threatens, it aims only at escaping notice. It aims in the air with dexterity and strikes home in an unexpected direction, always seeking to conceal its game. It lets a purpose appear in order to attract the opponent's attention, but then turns round and conquers by the unexpected. But a penetrating intelligence anticipates this by watchfulness and lurks in ambush. It always understands the opposite of what the opponent wishes it to understand, and recognises every feint of guile. It lets the first impulse pass by and waits for the second, or even the third. Sagacity now rises to higher flights on seeing its artifice foreseen, and tries to deceive by truth itself, changes its game in order to change its deceit, and cheats by not cheating, and founds deception on the greatest candour. But the opposing intelligence is on guard with increased watchfulness, and discovers the darkness concealed by the light and deciphers every move, the more subtle because more simple. In this way the guile of the Python combats the far darting rays of Apollo.
13. Balance spontaneity with careful consideration. Life is a constant struggle against others' ill intentions. Wisdom employs flexible strategies: it keeps its true plans hidden, misdirecting attention before striking unexpectedly. It reveals false intentions to distract, then pivots to achieve its real goals. However, a sharp mind anticipates these tactics, remaining vigilant. It interprets opponents' actions as opposite to their apparent intent, recognizing deception. It waits for follow-up moves, not reacting to initial feints. As cunning escalates, it may use honesty to deceive, changing tactics to maintain the upper hand. The astute opponent remains hyper-aware, piercing through disguises and unraveling even the simplest, most subtle ploys. This battle of wits resembles the clash between the crafty Python and the far-seeing Apollo.
14. The thing itself and the way it is done. "Substance" is not enough: "accident" is also required, as the scholastics say. A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No, sweetens truth, and adds a touch of beauty to old age itself. The how plays a large part in affairs, a good manner steals into the affections. Fine behaviour is a joy in life, and a pleasant expression helps out of a difficulty in a remarkable way.
14. The thing itself and the way it is done. "Substance" is not enough. "Accident," the outward manner, is also needed, as the scholastics say. A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice. A good manner makes up for everything. It gilds a refusal, sweetens the truth, and adds a touch of beauty even to old age. How a thing is done plays a large part in affairs. A good manner steals its way into people's affections. Fine behavior is a joy in life, and a pleasant expression helps you out of a difficulty remarkably well.
15. Keep ministering spirits. It is a privilege of the mighty to surround themselves with the champions of intellect; these extricate them from every fear of ignorance, these worry out for them the moot points of every difficulty. ’Tis a rare greatness to make use of the wise, and far exceeds the barbarous taste of Tigranes, who had a fancy for captive monarchs as his servants. It is a novel kind of supremacy, the best that life can offer, to have as servants by skill those who by nature are our masters. ’Tis a great thing to know, little to live: no real life without knowledge. There is remarkable cleverness in studying without study, in getting much by means of many, and through them all to become wise. Afterwards you speak in the council chamber on behalf of many, and as many sages speak through your mouth as were consulted beforehand: you thus obtain the fame of an oracle by others' toil. Such ministering spirits distil the best books and serve up the quintessence of wisdom. But he that cannot have sages in service should have them for his friends.
15. Keep wise helpers in your service. It is a privilege of the mighty to surround themselves with champions of the intellect. These helpers free them from every fear of ignorance, and they work out for them the disputed points of every difficulty. To make use of the wise is a rare greatness. It far surpasses the barbarous taste of Tigranes, who liked to have captured kings as his servants. It is a new kind of supremacy, the best that life can offer: to have as servants, by your skill, those who by nature are your masters. To know is a great thing, merely to live a small one. There is no real life without knowledge. It takes remarkable cleverness to study without studying, to gain much through many people, and through them all to become wise. Afterward you speak in the council chamber on behalf of many. As many sages speak through your mouth as you consulted beforehand. So you win the fame of an oracle by the work of others. Such helpers distill the best books and serve up the essence of wisdom. But whoever cannot have sages in his service should have them as friends.
16. Knowledge and good intentions together ensure continuance of success. A fine intellect wedded to a wicked will was always an unnatural monster. A wicked will envenoms all excellences: helped by knowledge it only ruins with greater subtlety. ’Tis a miserable superiority that only results in ruin. Knowledge without sense is double folly.
16. Knowledge and good intentions combined ensure lasting success. A brilliant mind paired with evil intentions is always an unnatural monstrosity. A malicious will poisons all virtues; when aided by knowledge, it only destroys with greater cunning. It's a pitiful superiority that only leads to ruin. Knowledge without wisdom is twice the foolishness.
17. Vary the mode of action; not always the same way, so as to distract attention, especially if there be a rival. Not always from first impulse; they will soon recognise the uniformity, and by anticipating, frustrate your designs. It is easy to kill a bird on the wing that flies straight: not so one that twists. Nor always act on second thoughts: they can discern the plan the second time. The enemy is on the watch, great skill is required to circumvent him. The gamester never plays the card the opponent expects, still less that which he wants.
17. Switch up your approach; don't always do things the same way, especially if you have competition. This will keep others guessing. Don't always act on your first instinct; people will quickly catch on to patterns and anticipate your moves. It's easy to hit a target that moves in a straight line, but not one that zigzags. However, don't always rely on your second thoughts either; others can figure out your strategy the second time around. Your opponent is watching closely, so you'll need to be clever to outmaneuver them. A skilled player never plays the card their opponent expects, and certainly not the one they want played.
18. Application and ability. There is no attaining eminence without both, and where they unite there is the greatest eminence. Mediocrity obtains more with application than superiority without it. Work is the price which is paid for reputation. What costs little is little worth. Even for the highest posts it is only in some cases application that is wanting, rarely the talent. To prefer moderate success in great things than eminence in a humble post has the excuse of a generous mind, but not so to be content with humble mediocrity when you could shine among the highest. Thus nature and art are both needed, and application sets on them the seal.
18. Diligence and ability. You cannot reach eminence without both, and where they unite, there is the greatest eminence. Mediocrity achieves more with diligence than superiority does without it. Work is the price paid for reputation. What costs little is worth little. Even for the highest posts, it is only in some cases that diligence is lacking, and rarely the talent. To prefer moderate success in great things to eminence in a humble post can be excused as the mark of a generous mind. But there is no such excuse for being content with humble mediocrity when you could shine among the highest. So both nature and art are needed, and diligence sets the seal on them.
19. Arouse no exaggerated expectations on entering. It is the usual ill-luck of all celebrities not to fulfil afterwards the expectations beforehand formed of them. The real can never equal the imagined, for it is easy to form ideals but very difficult to realise them. Imagination weds hope and gives birth to much more than things are in themselves. However great the excellences, they never suffice to fulfil expectations, and as men find themselves disappointed with their exorbitant expectations they are more ready to be disillusionised than to admire. Hope is a great falsifier of truth; let skill guard against this by ensuring that fruition exceeds desire. A few creditable attempts at the beginning are sufficient to arouse curiosity without pledging one to the final object. It is better that reality should surpass the design and is better than was thought. This rule does not apply to the wicked, for the same exaggeration is a great aid to them; they are defeated amid general applause, and what seemed at first extreme ruin comes to be thought quite bearable.
19. Raise no exaggerated expectations when you first appear. It is the usual bad luck of all celebrities that they do not later live up to the expectations formed of them in advance. The real can never equal the imagined. It is easy to form ideals but very hard to realize them. Imagination marries hope and gives birth to much more than things really are. However great a person's excellences, they never suffice to meet expectations. When people find their extravagant expectations disappointed, they are quicker to be disillusioned than to admire. Hope is a great falsifier of truth. Let skill guard against this by making sure that the enjoyment exceeds the desire. A few creditable attempts at the start are enough to arouse curiosity without committing you to the final goal. It is better when reality surpasses the plan and turns out better than people thought. This rule does not apply to the wicked, for the same exaggeration is a great help to them. They are defeated amid general applause, and what at first seemed utter ruin comes to seem quite bearable.
20. A man of the age. The rarest individuals depend on their age. It is not every one that finds the age he deserves, and even when he finds it he does not always know how to utilise it. Some men have been worthy of a better century, for every species of good does not always triumph. Things have their period; even excellences are subject to fashion. The sage has one advantage: he is immortal. If this is not his century many others will be.
20. A product of their time. The most exceptional individuals are shaped by their era. Not everyone finds the age they deserve, and even those who do may struggle to make the most of it. Some people are worthy of a better time, as not every form of goodness always prevails. Everything has its moment; even virtues are subject to trends. The wise person has one advantage: they are timeless. If this isn't their century, many others will be.
21. The art of being lucky. There are rules of luck: it is not all chance with the wise: it can be assisted by care. Some content themselves with placing them-selves confidently at the gate of fortune, waiting till she opens it. Others do better, and press forward and profit by their clever boldness, reaching the goddess and winning her favour on the wings of their virtue and valour. But on a true philosophy there is no other umpire than virtue and insight; for there is no luck or ill-luck except wisdom and the reverse.
21. The art of being lucky. There are rules to luck—it's not all chance for the wise. You can improve your luck with careful attention. Some people simply wait at fortune's door, hoping it will open. Others take a more active approach, boldly moving forward to seize opportunities. They reach for success and win favor through their virtue and courage. In reality, though, true wisdom recognizes that there's no luck or misfortune beyond our own choices and understanding. Virtue and insight are the only real arbiters of our fate.
22. A man of knowledge to the point. Wise men arm themselves with tasteful and elegant erudition; a practical knowledge of what is going on not of a common kind but more like an expert. They possess a copious store of wise and witty sayings, and of noble deeds, and know how to employ them on fitting occasions. More is often taught by a jest than by the most serious teaching. Pat knowledge helps some more than the seven arts, be they ever so liberal.
22. A man of knowledge that fits the moment. Wise men arm themselves with tasteful, elegant learning. They have a practical knowledge of what is going on in the world, not of the common kind but more like an expert's. They have a rich store of wise and witty sayings and of noble deeds, and they know how to use them on the right occasions. A joke often teaches more than the most serious lesson. Knowledge ready at hand helps some people more than the seven arts, however liberal they may be.
23. Be spotless: the indispensable condition of perfection. Few live without some weak point, either physical or moral, which they pamper because they could easily cure it. The keenness of others often regrets to see a slight defect attaching itself to a whole assembly of elevated qualities, and yet a single cloud can hide the whole of the sun. There are likewise patches on our reputation which ill-will soon finds out and is continually noticing. The highest skill is to transform them into ornament. So Caesar hid his natural defects with the laurel.
23. Be impeccable: the essential requirement for perfection. Most people have at least one flaw, either physical or moral, which they indulge because it could be easily fixed. Others often regret seeing a minor defect mar an otherwise impressive set of qualities, just as a single cloud can obscure the entire sun. Similarly, there are blemishes on our reputation that critics quickly spot and constantly point out. The greatest skill lies in turning these flaws into assets. Caesar, for example, concealed his natural defects with a laurel wreath.
24. Keep the imagination under control; sometimes correcting, sometimes assisting it. For it is all-important for our happiness, and even sets the reason right. It can tyrannise, and is not content with looking on, but influences and even often dominates life, causing it to be happy or burdensome according to the folly to which it leads. For it makes us either contented or discontented with ourselves. Before some it continually holds up the penalties of action, and becomes the mortifying lash of these fools. To others it promises happiness and adventure with blissful delusion. It can do all this unless the most prudent self-control keeps it in subjection.
24. Keep the imagination under control, sometimes correcting it, sometimes helping it. It is all-important for our happiness, and it even sets reason right. It can act as a tyrant. It is not content to look on, but influences life and often even dominates it. It makes life happy or burdensome according to the folly it leads us into. For it makes us either content or discontent with ourselves. To some it constantly holds up the penalties of action, and becomes the humiliating whip of these fools. To others it promises happiness and adventure with blissful delusion. It can do all this unless the most prudent self-control keeps it in check.
25. Know how to take a Hint. ’Twas once the art of arts to be able to discourse; now ’tis no longer sufficient. We must know how to take a hint, especially in disabusing ourselves. He cannot make himself understood who does not himself easily understand. But on the other hand there are pretended diviners of the heart and lynxes of the intentions. The very truths which concern us most can only be half spoken, but with attention we can grasp the whole meaning. When you hear anything favourable keep a tight rein on your credulity; if unfavourable, give it the spur.
25. Know how to take a hint. Being able to converse was once the art of arts. Now it is no longer enough. We must know how to take a hint, especially when it comes to clearing away our own illusions. Whoever does not easily understand others cannot make himself understood. But on the other hand, there are self-styled readers of hearts and lynx-eyed spotters of intentions. The very truths that concern us most can only be half spoken, but with attention we can grasp the whole meaning. When you hear anything favorable, keep a tight rein on your belief. If it is unfavorable, spur your belief on.