Hilary Mantel Quotes

Am I Machiavellian? I don't think I'm quite the mastermind people would have me be. Everything I do tends to be very successful and it may have something to do with the fact that I'm very good, not necessarily that I manipulate. But that doesn't often occur to people.

I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise.

CUNNING, n. The faculty that distinguishes a weak animal or person from a strong one. It brings its possessor much mental satisfaction and great material adversity. An Italian proverb says: "The furrier gets the skins of more foxes than asses."

The weak in courage is strong in cunning.

Fraud is the homage that force pays to reason.

Johnny 'Fairplay' Dalton manufactured a lie about his dear grandmother dying in order to win a challenge. This is one of the best villain moments of 'Survivor' ever! This lie was pre-planned, evil, and perfectly played out.

Life is a system of half-truths and lies, Opportunistic, convenient evasion.

The best liars are those who tell the truth most of the time.

Truth is no man's slave - but lies - what magnificent servants they make.

Always keep your foes confused. If they are never certain who you are or what you want, they cannot know what you are like to do next. Sometimes the best way to baffle them is to make moves that have no purpose, or even seem to work against you. Remember that, Sansa, when you come to play the game.” “What . . . what game?” “The only game. The game of thrones.” -(Littlefinger)

What annoyed me was that I so often attempted to weasel out of things on purpose, it killed me to do it by accident. It seemed like a waste of whatever detailed lie I was going to have to come up with.

A man has made great progress in cunning when he does not seem too clever to others.

An honest man is all right even if he's an idiot...but a crook must have brains.

Intelligence can be used to manipulate.

The flatterer easily insinuates himself into the closet, while honest merit stands shivering in the hall or antechamber.

Cunning is the dwarf of wisdom.

Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.

The most that can be said of flattery is that it is sometimes a cheap psychological trick with which charlatans and dishonest people lull others into a state of carelessness while they pick their pockets.

Machination is worth more than force.

The whole power of cunning is privative; to say nothing, and to do nothing , is the utmost of its reach. Yet men, thus narrow by nature and mean by art, are sometimes able to rise by the miscarriages of bravery and the openness of integrity, and, watching failures and snatching opportunities, obtain advantages which belong to higher characters.

Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.

Cunning has effect from the credulity of others, rather than from the abilities of those who are cunning. It requires no extraordinary talents to lie and deceive.

You will find ambiguity a great ally on your road to power. Give a sign of Slytherin on one day, and contradict it with a sign of Gryffindor the next; and the Slytherins will be enabled to believe what they wish, while the Gryffindors argue themselves into supporting you as well. So long as there is uncertainty, people can believe whatever seems to be to their own advantage. And so long as you appear strong, so long as you appear to be winning, their instincts will tell them that their advantage lies with you. Walk always in the shadow, and light and darkness both will follow.

You know, that might be the answer - to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That's a trick that never seems to fail.

Tricks and treachery are merely proofs of lack of skill.