FROM THE DESK OF MAYOR C.B.

 

Never tell the truth when a lie will do.

Never tell the truth the same way twice. It will create the forest in which your lies take root.

Loyalty is a commodity, it is only valuable when the supply is low.

If you are forced to do something, be good at it.

Know when to walk away.

Avoid punishment.

Lies are an attack on authority

The truth is the best weapon, but lies are a far more common form ammunition. Know when to be a sniper, and when to spray and pray.

Deception is better than a lie, since deception is both truth and falsehood at the same time.

Jokes at another's expense are just hostility cloaked in deception.

Lies fulfill the needs and wishes of the deceiver.

Always accommodate the self-deception of others. No emperor ever rewarded the man who pointed out he was naked.

Men lie about their accomplishments.

Women lie about how well they get along with others.

It is easier for one to lie about how they see themselves, then to change what they are.

Lies that don't matter to you, will matter to others.

Telling the truth is to surrender control.

Sunlight kills a lie or causes it grow uncontrollably.

A lie is best clothed in subjective truth.

People want the world to be unfair in their favor, by either gaining more than you or tearing you down. Conceal any benefits or rewards you gain whenever possible.

Anonymity is a lie by omission.

Hide information that people don't need to know.

Truth is power. Lies strip away power. Be wary, for a lie cuts both ways.

The asking price is not the selling price.

Bluffing is a lie people expect. People blame themselves when they fall for something they expected.

Lies that build you up draw attention. Make sure you know what you want to do with that attention before you attract it.

Sometimes you should lie just to see what happens.

An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.

The mask we wear is cover against the attacks of others. Better to have people attack an empty shell than to put yourself at risk.

Procrastination is another form of lying.

If you avoid a problem long enough, the problem becomes moot, and therefore solves itself.

Nobody notices a boring lie.

All drama is a form of lying.

People have a hard time believing what they cannot perceive. Use their imagination against them.

Lie hard enough and there is no truth that cannot be hidden.

Innocence is ignorance combined with a happy lie. Always strive to protect the innocence of others.

Lies do not damage the trust and loyalties others have in us. Getting caught does.

There are many reasons to lie, spite isn't one of them.

We must all strive to look beyond our base needs and desires. Seek out your higher selfishness.

Often the interests of others are in your best interest. Trick them into ask you to do what you would have done anyways to put them in your debt.

The greatest lie is that we are entitled to anything. All are justified in taking anything they can.

Claim everything you take is rightfully yours. Since no one else has a just claim to anything, no one can dispute you once it is yours.

Humans crave justice in a world that has none.

If something costs you dearly, we lie to ourselves and add value to that thing, even if it objectively worthless.

Honor, morals, and scruples all cost you dearly.

Ask people for help in trivial matters. One will assume they like you, the more work they do for you.

Never trust anyone who asks you for help.

Rules are simulations of reality and all simulations are lies.

There is only one objective reality and we all live in that truth. No one can know objective reality, only their own subjective reality.

All subjective truths are fantasies. All fantasies are lies.

Someone who does not perceive their exploitation is not exploited.

Never outshine the master.

Use your friends to your benefit, but never use them up.

Beaten opponents respect you more than any friend.

Conceal your intentions.

The less you speak, the better.

There is no balm for a wounded reputation, guard it with your life.

A reputation cannot exist without attention.

People don't like bad things so people try to forget the bad things. This is why people remember the past fondly and fear the future.

All publicity is good publicity. Always steal the credit, even when it's bad.

Make others come to you.

When you lay bait, do not shoot at the first animal to show up, but wait until the entire herd has gathered.

We win by our actions. Use argument to justify your actions.

Avoid the unhappy and unlucky.

Keep people dependent on you. People never bite the hand that feeds them. They bite the hand they no longer need.

Be honest about that which doesn't matter to disarm your enemies.

Pose as a friend. Work as a spy. All interrogations should be hidden in a friendly chat.

You don't have to forgive your enemies if you crush them out of existence.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It is better to hear, "Why have you been gone?" then, "Why have you come again?"

Unpredictability is a virtue.

Isolation is dangerous. Anyone who wants you to cut social ties with others wants to control you.

Do not offend the wrong person.

Do not fully commit to any plan or side in a conflict. The man who commits everything, risks everything.

He who defends everything protects nothing.

Concentrate your power, but diversify your resources.

Act the fool, to catch a sucker.

Surrender before you have lost to negotiate better terms.

Don't allow others to define you.

Define yourself as you wish to be, not as you are.

Your life is a story, be the main character.

Keep your hands clean. Find a scapegoat and have them act as your catspaw.

Create a cult. People want to believe in a fair world, play upon that belief.

There are those who know, and those who believe.

Second guess yourself when you are safe for doubt can protect against bad outcomes.

When in danger, act decisively and with boldness. You will either succeed or fail. Doubt can only cost you victory.

Come up with at least one plan that works all the way to the conclusion you want. You may need to improvise, but if you don't have at least one plan, you are relying on luck.

The best way to make a plan is to start where you want to end up, then work backwards to where you are now.

Determine reward. Calculate risk.

Never complain about how hard it is to do something. Always make your accomplishments seem effortless.

Overnight success is an illusion.

People want to choose their future. Make sure every choice they have benefits you.

If you think you are being played. You are being played.

Find people's weak spots. Never reveal true weaknesses.

Act like a king.

Do not be loyal to those who are disloyal.

Disdain that which you cannot have.

People will believe lies so insane that nobody would dare to speak them.

If everyone agrees with you, take a moment to reflect.

Think as you like, but mirror those around you. It is a rare soul who is not in love with their reflection.

Make people react to you.

Take from your enemies. Give to those who would become allies. Leave the crumbs to those who already call you friend.

Do not accept a free lunch.

Never step into a great man's shoes.

Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.

Never abuse those who are below you without a reason they understand, for they will grow to hate you, not hate themselves.

Always encourage others to change, it weakens them if they take too many risks at once. Bad advice is a great weapon.

Be familiar and change slowly so others will remain comfortable with you.

Never appear perfect. Create false flaws that you allow others to uncover.

In victory, know when to stop.

Be formless, like water. Conform to your environment to control it.

When you go to war, declare war.

When at war, the faster you end a war, the better.

If a war drags on, turn it into a crusade.

Never fight a war the same way twice.

When all is lost, allow urgency and desperation to overcome you so that you act as if this is the last thing you will ever do. Fear focused is courage and a courageous man can do the impossible.

You are never fully prepared to begin.

God doesn't care about anyone, but tell everyone he is on your side anyways.

Pick your battles. Don't throw rocks at every dog that barks.

Make your enemies live up to their own standards.

Doubt is best in the minds of your enemies.

Trade space for time. You can recover space, you can never reclaim time.

You don't have to win all the battles, only the last battle.

If you are going to hit someone, hit him where it hurts, or where it stops him from feeling anything ever again.

Negotiate while advancing.

The fool revels in his knowledge and knows no bounds. The wise man defines his knowledge by the void that surrounds it. Failure to know your limits only leads to failure.

Know yourself.

Know your enemy.

Know the conditions under which you fight.