"Thus a wise prince will think of ways to keep his citizens of every sort and under every circumstance dependent on the state and on him; and then they will always be trustworthy."

- Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469-1527

The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

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.

[Conceal intentions with false sincerity]

Espouse a belief in honesty and forthrightness as important social values.

Do this as publicly as possible.

Emphasize your position by occasionally divulging some heartfelt thought - though only one that is meaningless or irrelevant.

Once you have a solid base of respect, ridiculing your opponent both puts him on the defensive and draws more attention to you, enhancing your own reputation.

Learn to take advantage of other people’s work to further your own cause.

Time is precious and life is short.

If you try to do it all on your own, you run yourself ragged, waste energy, and burn yourself out.

@48_quotes Well said.

I highly recommend the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" -Dale Carnegie.

Even if you're not an avid reader, this book is a must.

It’s a mistake to assume that open-minded people have weak opinions.

On the contrary, they are actually strongly opinionated because they actively seek evidence contrary to their beliefs which makes them converge on beliefs that are only updated if there’s compelling evidence.

Investing in stocks, startups, crypto, real estate, and whatever else can create a lot of wealth.

That's great.

But truly achieving happiness and success in life starts with one thing:

Investing in yourself 🧵

Our lives often get more hectic the more successful we become.

And it gets more difficult to justify taking the time and energy to invest in ourselves.

Instead we just focus on short term gains in our careers, often at the expense of ourselves.

This is a mistake.

I attribute a lot of my success to continuously making sure I am my best self.

But to do that well, you need to focus.

These are the categories I invest in:
1. Education
2. Physical Health
3. Mental Health
4. Relationships

If I get these things right, I know I am doing well.

1/ Education

For me, learning is about doing. That's why I prioritize having strong mentors.

Investing in your education means paying for experiences, trying new things or skills.

This investment should be in something that will have an impact, not just in knowing more stuff.

2/ Health

Health is finding a way to stay fit as your life style changes over time.

I don't do the same workouts I did in college or even the same ones I did before I had my boys.

If you don't invest in a health routine that matches your lifestyle, it's doomed to fail.

Once you have a solid base of respect, ridiculing your opponent both puts him on the defensive and draws more attention to you, enhancing your own reputation.

Never expose the sweat and labor behind your poise.

Some think such exposure will demonstrate their diligence and honesty, but it actually just makes them look weaker — as if anyone who practiced and worked at it could do what they had done.