The Art of War---Changing Fate

1. Changing fate: Rely on choosing a wife
2. Establishing authority: Rely on silence
3. Gaining support: Rely on decisiveness
4. Ascending to power: Rely on benefactors
5. Maintaining enterprise: Rely on checks and balances
6. Achieving success: Rely on leveraging others' momentum
7. Breaking the deadlock: Rely on abandonment
8. Avoiding trouble: Rely on low profile
9. Negotiation: Rely on your trump cards
10. Cutting losses: Rely on ruthlessness
11. Broadening horizons: Rely on traveling afar
12. Building connections: Rely on initiative
13. Seizing opportunities: Rely on courage
14. Ensuring safety: Rely on feigning weakness
15. Gaining trust: Rely on reliability
16. Winning people's hearts: Rely on offering benefits
17. Making money: Rely on information asymmetry
18. Concealing your sharpness: Rely on pretending to be confused
19. Understanding human nature: Rely on suffering hidden losses
20. Long-term stability: Rely on leaving a backup plan.

The Art of War---Perspective
1. You want to curse him, but you hold back—that’s true skill.
2. You don’t want to do this thing, but you do it well—that’s ability.
3. You can’t swallow this anger, but you force yourself to do it—that’s magnanimity.
4. You dislike him, but you can treat him equally—that’s cultivation.

The Art of War---Recognizing People
1. Judging a person's character isn’t just about their actions, but also about the type of friends they keep.
2. People who praise you publicly may not truly have your best interests at heart, but those who give you advice privately are often the most sincere.
3. Those who constantly speak ill of others behind their backs will also speak ill of you behind your back.
4. People who like to say “we only talk about feelings, not money” are often hypocrites. Those who prefer to clarify interests from the start and then discuss feelings are usually genuine.
5. Anyone in a certain position must have their exceptional qualities, no matter how much you dislike them.
6. Those who can quickly move on after a failed relationship either didn’t truly invest or are frighteningly rational.
7. If you find someone who can be particularly carefree and non-conforming, that person is probably a seasoned veteran.

The Art of War---Dealing with the World
1. Feeding pigs for kindness, carrying rice for revenge—never be a people-pleaser.
2. Don’t lend money to someone with poor character, regardless of whether they have money or not.
3. The closer the friendship, the less suitable it is to do business together, because many things are hindered by face.
4. Be cautious about interfering in others’ family affairs; keep your own family’s scandals private.
5. Don’t tell dirty jokes to your friend’s husband, nor have one-on-one contact with your best friend’s husband.
6. Even with good relationships, be mindful of your words—an unintentional remark can offend.

The Art of War---Playing the Game
1. To eat meat, feed the pig first; to hold office, study first.
2. The colder and more decisive you are, the less you drag things out, and the more people admire you.
3. Never tear your face apart; don’t be the one to throw the table during conflicts.
4. When someone asks about your livelihood at first meeting, they are essentially calculating how much they respect you.
5. If you make someone who dislikes you jealous and angry, it means you’ve done something right.
6. Be patient in public, ruthless in private; high-level conflicts are fought in the dark, not in the open.
7. Being manipulated by others means they have a need for some aspect of you. When you have no desires or ambitions, you are truly the king.