It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself.
greene, robert. The 48 Laws of Power.
If you allow people to feel they possess you to any degree, you lose all power over them. By not committing your affections, they will only try harder to win you over. Stay aloof and you gain the power that comes from their attention and frustrated desire. Play the Virgin Queen: Give them hope but never satisfaction.
greene, robert. The 48 Laws of Power.
Since power depends greatly on appearances, you must learn the tricks that will enhance your image. Refusing to commit to a person or group is one of these. When you hold yourself back, you incur not anger but a kind of respect. You instantly seem powerful because you make yourself ungraspable, rather than succumbing to the group, or to the relationship, as most people do. This aura of power only grows with time: As your reputation for independence grows, more and more people will come to desire you, wanting to be the one who gets you to commit. Desire is like a virus: If we see that someone is desired by other people, we tend to find this person desirable too … The moment you commit, the magic is gone. You become like everyone else.
GREENE, ROBERT. THE 48 LAWS OF POWER
Do not let people drag you into their petty fights and squabbles. Seem interested and supportive, but find a way to remain neutral.
GREENE, ROBERT. THE 48 LAWS OF POWER