Law 18 - Spiderweb > Fortress Flashcards
What are the consequences when you isolate yourself?
- You have no information
- You lose perspective of events around you
- No sources of power
- You don’t hear whispers of plots against you
Who are the sources of your power?
- Weak master
- Subjects
- Enemies
- Allies
What is the norm, if not privacy and isolation?
Sociability and openness
What advantages do you cede to others when you isolate yourself??
- You become a small, easy target
- Everyone knows where you are
What strategic losses do you suffer when you isolate yourself?
- You lose maneuverability
- You can’t ask for help
- You lose your mind - become paranoid and diseased
- People act without your approval or knowledge
- People plot against you
What is the wrong option to choose when faced with danger and uncertainty?
Isolating yourself
What should you do when faced with danger and uncertainty?
- Fight the desire to turn inward
- Make yourself more accessible
- Seek out old allies
- Make new ones
- Force yourself into more circles
What is your ultimate aim when de-isolating yourself?
Not a pin should drop without you hearing it
What do you want your world to be, if not a fortress?
A vast Versailles
What does a versailles room associate with in your life?
A different social circle
What is “being permeable”? How do you do it?
Being permeable is the ability to float in and out of different social circles, and to mix with different types of people
How does mobility and social contact help you?
- It protects you from plotters
- No one can keep any secrets from you
- Enemies won’t be able to isolate you from allies
If the world is your Versailles, which room should you reside in?
None - always be on the move. Never sit or settle in one place.
What is better than relying on the strength of citadels to protect yourself?
Relying on the goodwill of your citizens.
What types of people should you mingle with?
All
At what point do you stop targeting new social circles to force yourself into?
Never
How many people out of one group should you get close enough that they tell you everything, all their secrets?
ALL of them
How do you figure out what information to extract from your different circles?
You build the big picture in your mind, and fill in all the blanks with information from your circles.
What rewards do you reap when you mingle on all levels?
You are able to
- foresee trends and troubles
- cope with changing tides
- counter an Enemy here with an Ally there
What effect does isolation have on your social skills?
It makes you awkward in social situations, which leads to further isolation.
What happens to your social skills when you have constant exposure and circulation?
You become more graceful and at ease.
How do you know you are too isolated?
- You stop seeing the bigger picture
- You’re too obsessed with detail
- You’re too paranoid
What should your attitude be towards sociability and openness?
It should be encouraged, organised and channeled.
What is the relationship of social interaction, and circulation, with power?
They are directly proportional
