Overt flattery can be effective but has its limits; it is too direct and obvious and looks bad to other courtiers. Discreet flattery, tailored to the… - Robert Greene

There is too little mystery in the world; too many people say exactly what they feel or want.

Put yourself in situations where you have too much at stake to waste time or resources—if you cannot afford to lose, you won’t. Place yourself on “death ground,” where your back is against the wall and you have to fight like hell to get out alive.

The problem with all students, he said, is that they inevitably stop somewhere. They hear an idea and they hold on to it until it becomes dead; they want to flatter themselves that they know the truth. But true Zen never stops, never congeals into such truths. That is why everyone must constantly be pushed to the abyss, starting over and feeling their utter worthlessness as a student. Without suffering and doubts, the mind will come to rest on clichés and stay there, until the spirit dies as well. Not even enlightenment is enough. You must continually start over and challenge yourself.