REPUTATION

Reputation is the corner stone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win.

The people around us, even our closest friends, will always to some extent remain mysterious and unfathomable. Their characters have secret recesses that they will never reveal. The unknowableness of other people could prove disturbing as we thought about it long enough, since it would make it impossible for us really to judge other people. So we prefer to ignore this fact, and judge people by their appearance, on what is most visible to our eyes - clothes, gestures, words, and actions.

In the social realm, appearance are the barometer of almost all of our judgements, and you must never be misled into believing otherwise. This is the reason for the supreme importance of making and maintaining a reputation that is of your own creation.

Reputation has a power like magic, with one stroke of its wand, it can double your strength. It can also send people scurrying away from you.

In the beginning, you must work to establish a reputation for one outstanding quality, whether generosity or honesty or cunning. This quality sets you apart and gets other people to talk about you. You can make your reputation known to as many people as possible by subtly, taking care to build slowly and with a firm foundation and watch it as it spreads like wildfire.

A solid reputation increases your presence and exaggerates strengths without having to spend much energy. It can also create an aura around you that will instill respect, even fear.

Reputation inevitably precedes you, and if it inspires respect, alot of work is done before your arrival.

Reputation is a treasure to be carefully collected and hoarded. Once its solid, do not let yourself fall to the trap of your enemies.

Since we must live in a society and must depend on the opinions of others, there is nothing to be gained by neglecting your reputation. By not caring how you are perceived, you let others decide this for you.

Be the master of your fate, and also your reputation.

Once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked from all sides.

Make your reputation unassailable, always be alert to potential attack and thwart them before they happen.

It is easier to core with a bad conscience than with a bad reputation.

By
Marshall Dare.