Saturday, October 2, 2010

Rule #4: Always Say Less than Necessary

 Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary

"When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control.  Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.  Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.  The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish."


Hope everyones having a great weekend, thanks for your comments on my earlier post, will get back to responding to every soon after i'm done writing this.  I'll keep this post a little bit shorter than the other ones (hence following the rule myself?) But as usual, i'll keep it interesting and informative.

I'm still trying to figure out a name for my new domain, but I did find somewhere to host and should be up and running fairly soon.  Thanks for the continued support of my blogs, please share with your friends or whoever else might be interested, I always appreciate more readers and feedback on my writing!


A L W A Y S     S A Y     L E S S    T H A N    N E C E S S A R Y

Many of us have run into trouble in our lives because we have said too much, revealed something unintentionally that we have come later to regret.  Every word that escapes your mouth is recorded deep in the etches of your mind, and also to those around you who hear the words you speak.  It creates a lasting impression over time, even if the words don't seem like they mean much, or are insignificant.  Whenever you make a sarcastic remark, or talk endlessly about your plans and goals, you run the threat of hurting your own power base.  Always say less than necessary:

"Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary, you inevitably appear greater and more powerful thank you are.  Your silence will make other people uncomfortable.  Humans are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking.  When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your intentions of meaning."

Personally, I have felt the effect of this law's significance many times in my life, and this is why I am writing about these laws in the first place, to help remind me of its existence and on its possible applications.  There is a reversal to this law, and if you are too shut in, never talk to anyone, and are secretive to an extreme, you will also lose in your quest for power, remember to never believe any advice unless you truly believe it and feel that it may provide answers at the "truth."

Robert Greene tells an interesting story of a man who cheated death at the gallows after the rope snapped, saving his life.  When the Czar of Russia, Nicholas I heard the news, he was amazed, and believed that this was a sign from God himself that the man was innocent and deserved to be pardoned.  Right before he signed the pardon that would have saved the man's life, he asked if the prisoner had said anything after the miraculous turn of events.

"Sire," The messenger replied, "he said in Russia they don't even know how to make rope."

You can wager a guess at what happened next.  The Czar promptly ripped the pardon and declared, "In that case, let's prove the contrary."

This is the fate of the man who does not know when to speak, and when to keep his mouth shut.  Every outburst we make, and careless remark, could come back to haunt us in the future.  That is why wise men and women know that the less they say, the more they can observe, listen, and reserve their words for when the time is more proper, instead of throwing them around carelessly.

Like I said earlier, i'm going to keep this post shorter, and then after maybe it would be a good idea to reflect upon some times in your life where you overstepped your bounds, maybe said something that you wish you didn't, and next time, you'll be wiser for it, and not hurt yourself or the ones you love.











32 comments:

Travie said...

Haha, is that why there isn't any comments? :D

Arkanyn said...

but then people get mad coz im too quiet

http://darkesthourreviews.blogspot.com/

Mark said...

I wonder if this law applies to interviews...

Hotsaucer said...

haha, I like the story about the Russian man that was hanged. I agree. Some people just don't know when to keep their mouths shut. I'm mostly an introvert, so I know exactly how useful staying quiet can be. I've gotten many dates because I appeared to be "mysterious."

kmartsmartsuperstar said...

This is a great life lesson. And wow, that's pretty bad. It seems like more and more people are getting like that Russian man. Just don't know when to shut up.

Drackar said...

Yeah...Though you can provide a false front by babbling, at times that is quite useful.

Shane said...

pretty good rule to follow

Unknown said...

if less than necessary is better i think ive already said too much...

BLUERAD said...

Thanks for the great comments, you have a good point Drackar, haha. Its pretty late, going to do more blog reading tomorrow. Look forward to seeing new stuff

That Which Haunts said...

Always say less than necessary, or only that which is needed. I live by this with people I am not close with; coworkers, strangers, people at galleries, etc. Highly recommended approach, especially with coworkers. Of course, some personal disclosure and social interactions are perfectly fine and should occur (or else you are the crazy guy who does not talk to others), just keep an eye out on what comes out or how it could be interpreted.

The Reviever said...

Awesome. I'll follow your rules and tell you how are they working ;)

melinko said...

the best one yet

Joebloggs said...

Maybe this is why so many people seem to latch onto me, for some internal reason when introduced to new people, i subconsciously tell myself to give away as little information about myself as possible...

The Angry Vegetarian said...

I've only been guilty a few times of saying too much. But generally I'm a man of few words. Good post, btw

Totalitarian said...

Yep we've all been there, power of words can be exceptional!

Donkote said...

hmmm i've never thought of it this way before

DjTont said...

Its good to follow that way of thinking

the grim said...

saying less has allways proved to be a better plan than to just keep talking untill nobody pays attantion anymore

Dyaitsidyam∂ said...

less is more! and more is less!

Helldozer said...

People who speak less always say more. Great post, this is one of my favorite blogs.

IsJasonCranky? said...

Great post. I've subconsciously lived my life by this philosophy, but know I am actually thinking about it, it makes perfect sense.

Wise words, will follow

MikeNeuman said...

Silence is powerful. You just need to have to power to remain silent.

HiveNode said...

Knowledge is power... hide it well.

LoreBlogger said...

Great tip, keep up the good blog

deltree2 said...

great lesson. everyone should read this

http://thegiannamichaels.blogspot.com/ said...

This could have helped me out in the past lol. Interesting read, looking forward to more posts!

brendan said...

interesting read

LD said...

this was nice, really made me think

Cowbellrocker said...

Nice post

RJ said...

Very good advice; will try to apply it to my own life.

nick said...

great post keep them coming

Ann Sedai said...

oopss..i think i've said too much.. i hope it's not too late to start from zero..and say less than necessary :D