So much depends on reputation — guard it with your life: reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

I’ve heard before, that “the higher they are, the harder they fall.” This expression seems simplistic to me. Why would this not hold true? After all, the loftier a person soars, the more visibility that person has. Why would anyone notice someone who contributes nothing to society? Why would anyone notice the newcomer? There will always be upstarts nipping at your heels as they make their personal attempt to replace you within the upper echelon.