Make your accomplishments seem effortless: your actions must seem natural and executed with all the toil and practice that go into them, and also with all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work — it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

It is true; certain decorum must be maintained. This becomes increasingly true the more elevated your position becomes in the circles that you travel. It is certainly prudent to rehearse, to plan, to prepare. These preparatory efforts are a private matter, not a public one. Few people are witness to even dress rehearsal prior to opening night. We must hone our skills and sharpen our blades with as much solitude as might be afforded us. The weakest link in my caper is most certainly the other person.