“Guide people far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realise your intentions, it will be too late.”

The 48 Laws of Power, Law 3, Conceal Your Intentions

Quote

“Guide people far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realise your intentions, it will be too late.” — Robert Greene

Explanation

When we conceive a potentially effective strategy, we often feel the urge to tell others about it, hoping to receive some sort of external appreciation or validation.

However, as with all sensitive information, by publicising our ideas, they spread like wildfire, eventually reaching the rival we have been plotting to outmanoeuvre.