Never outshine your superiors.

Do not trust friends too much; use your enemies.

Conceal your true intentions.

Always say less than necessary.

Guard your reputation with your life.

Court attention at all costs.

Make others work for you, but always take the credit.

Make others come to you — if necessary, throw out bait.

Win through actions, not through argument.

Beware the unhappy and unlucky.

Learn how to make people dependent on you.

Disarm your opponent with selective honesty and generosity.

When asking for help, appeal to the other person’s interests.

Appear to be a friend, act as a spy in reality.

Crush the enemy completely.

Create respect and value through your absence.

Keep others in fear and suspense: be unpredictable.

Do not build a fortress to protect yourself — isolation is dangerous.

Be skeptical of others’ intentions: not everyone thinks like you.

Commit to no one.

Appear naive to catch the naive.

Use the tactic of surrender: turn weakness into strength.

Concentrate your forces.

Play the perfect courtier.

Recreate yourself.

Keep your hands clean.

Play on people’s need to believe to create followers.

Act with boldness.

Plan everything to the end.

Make your successes seem effortless.

Control the options: make others play with the cards you deal.

Play to people’s fantasies.

Find everyone’s weak spot.

Behave like a king so you will be treated like one.

Master the art of timing.

Despise what you cannot have.

Create spectacular shows.

Think like everyone, but act differently.

Muddy the waters to catch fish.

Avoid free offerings.

Do not step into the footprints of great men.

Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.

Win the hearts and minds of people.

Disarm and infuriate by mirroring.

Advocate the necessity of change, but never reform all at once.

Never appear too perfect.

Do not go beyond the mark you aimed for.

Be formless.