Table of Contents
The One-Upmanship Strategy
Life is war against the malice of men.
BALTASAR GRACIAN, 160158
Make your rivals hang themselves with their own self-destructive tendencies.
The Art of One-Upmanship
Your enemies are not only external, they are internal – they also close to you, they are your colleagues and rivals. Fighting on both fronts is exhausting, so you must be efficient.
You must abstain from complaining about people, or attacking them directly – this will only make you look bad. Personalities often form around weaknesses and insecurities.
People who feel needy, or who have a superiority complex, or are afraid of chaos, or desperately want order, will develop a personality–a social mask–to cover up their flaws and make it possible for them to present a confident, pleasant, responsible exterior to the world. But the mask is like the scar tissue covering a wound: touch it the wrong way and it hurts.
Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War
Study the behavior of your colleagues and rivals, if they are affable on the outside, this does not tell you anything about what they are secretly planning. Study their old patterns and mistakes and learn what their flaws are.
Don’t be overtly aggressive, always have a friendly exterior, otherwise, you may harm your own position. Find subtle ways to break them down, let them plant the seeds of their own destruction.
Never interfere with an enemy that is in the process of committing suicide.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Musashi
Losing a duel for a samurai meant death or public humiliation. Swordsmen looked for any advantage – physical dexterity, a better sword, or perfect technique – to avoid losing. But the great samurais found their advantage by playing subtle mind games. They might make their enemy self-conscious, too self-aware, too focused on the wrong things.
Genzaemon was scheduled to fight Musashi, but the latter didn’t show up on time. One of Genzaemon’s students went to see where Musashi was, he found him sleeping. Musashi sent his regards to Genzaemon and said he would be there soon. A furious Genzaemon paced the field, and Musashi still took his time. Two more hours passed, before Musashi appeared, slowly walking towards the field. He was wearing a scarlet headband, not the traditional white one that Genzaemon wore.
Genzaemon shouted angrily at Musashi and charged towards him, but Musashi was unfazed, he deflected Genzaemon’s attacks. Each managed to slash the other’s forehead, but while Genzaemon’s headband turned red, Musashi’s remained the same color.
Finally, frustrated and confused, Genzaemon charged forward yet again–right into Mushashi’s sword, which struck his head and knocked him to the ground unconscious. Genzaemon would later recover, but he was so humiliated by his defeat that he left the world of swordsmanship and entered the priesthood, where he would spend his remaining years.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
If you are interested in exploring the darker or hidden parts of human psychology that most people ignore, check out The Dichotomy of the Self.