21 Signs of Mastering Human Nature and Scheming, How Many Have You Mastered?

1. When you want to refuse someone, don’t say no directly; instead, delay. Delay until they lose interest, until the golden period of the matter has passed, and you give up—this is more graceful than refusing face-to-face.
2. When collaborating with others, start from being a villain before a gentleman. Put the worst outcomes on the table and include them in the contract. Once the ugly words are out, the rest will be smooth sailing.
3. When you need help from others, don’t ask, “Can you do me a favor?” Instead, say, “There’s an opportunity for you to showcase your talents. Would you like to try?”
4. When faced with someone’s questioning, the most clever response is not to explain but to ask back. Kick the ball back, trapping them in a trap of self-justification.
5. In a new team, don’t rush to show yourself; first learn to act like a fool. Your clumsiness will numb everyone’s suspicion and allow you to secretly see everyone’s true colors.
6. To make someone wholeheartedly follow you, don’t just give money; give them an identity and dignity they’ve never experienced.
7. No matter what people say about you behind your back, just smile and say in public, “I heard you’ve been caring about me lately. Thanks for your effort.”
8. Truly powerful people never lose their temper easily. Treat every humiliation and offense as if gathering energy with a pen, then explode it all at the most critical moment.
9. To judge whether someone is worth deep friendship, don’t look at how good they are to you; look at whether they criticize you first after you make a mistake or help you make up for it.
10. To gain recognition from a race, don’t try to please everyone; focus on the most influential person in that race and get their endorsement.
11. Have a side hustle. Try to earn more money. Today’s society is very realistic—without money, you can’t move an inch.
12. Give credit to your superiors, share benefits with subordinates, and endure grievances yourself. Master these three points, and you will be invincible anywhere.
13. Never aim to be a useful person; aim to be a valuable person. Being useful means you can be replaced at any time, but being valuable means you hold the power to set the price.
14. When someone asks for help and you don’t want to assist, give them a more troublesome and complicated solution. They’ll think you don’t help much but are truly thoughtful.
15. In a group, deliberately keep a little distance from the most powerful person. It doesn’t seem threatening and makes others more willing to approach you.
16. The most clever praise is not to compliment someone’s strengths but to acknowledge the effort they put into developing that strength.
17. To completely destroy someone, don’t suppress them; instead, elevate them to a height unworthy of their virtue, then watch quietly as they collapse under pressure.
18. Speak half, act half—this is the best way to keep others curious and respectful.
19. Don’t believe any talk that blames the matter but not the person. Ultimately, everything is a game of human relationships.
20. A person’s social circle is their public persona. Their shopping cart reveals their true desires.
21. If someone lies to you, don’t immediately expose them. Give them a chance to continue lying and see how they spin the lie more convincingly. The complexity of the lie reflects the depth of their scheming.