Hide Your Dagger Behind a Smile

Strategy 10

Charm and ingratiate yourself to your enemy. When you have gained his trust, you move against him in secret.

Modern Example

Not as long ago as I'd like to admit, I worked with someone who was a friend of a friend. I had no reason not to trust this person, especially since I was new and this person was a close friend of my friend. However, they saw my technical skills as a threat to their own, and did everything they could to sabotage my career. Had they not boasted of it to another mutual friend, I would never have found out the source of my sudden and unexpected difficulties. I took the necessary corrective steps, and just in the nick of time, but the damage was done. The bitter lesson I have learned is that you cannot trust someone new to your circle just because they are a friend of a friend - even if you have enemies in common... They must earn it.