When to«" tt" .t+«' to act, «.. th. one 
control. It is aLwQ)s betty to mak )ouv ol4one t come to 
alan(hninghis plans ttw process. Lure him 
with jbbulou.s gains attack. You hold ttw cards 



r:low many times has this scenario played 
itself out in history: A.n aggressive leader ini- 
tiates a series of bold moves that begin by 
bringing him much power. Slowly, however, 
his power reaches a peak, and soon every- 
thing tums against him. His numerous ene- 
mies band together; trying to maintain his 
power, he exhausts himself going in this 
direction and that, and inevitably he col- 
lapses. The reason for this patten is that the 
aggressive person is rarely in full control. He 
cannot see more than a couple of moves 
ahead, cannot see the consequences of this 
bold move or that one. Because he is con- 
stantly being forced to react to the moves of 
his ever growing host of enemies, and to the 
unforeseen consequences of his own rash 
actions, his aggressive energy is turned 
against him. 
In the realm of power, you must ask 
yourself, 'What is the point of chasing here 
and there, trying to solve problems and 
defeat my enemies, if I never feel in control? 
Why am I always having to react to events 
instead of directing them? The answer is sim- 
ple: Your idea of power is vnong. Ybu have 
mistaken aggressive action for effective 
action. And most often the most effective 
action is to stay back, keep calm, and let oth- 
ers be frustrated by the traps you lay for 
them, playing for longterm power bathed ' 

than quick victory. 
Remember: The essence ofpower is the 
ability to keep the initiative, to get others to 
react to moves, to keep your opponent 
and those around you on the defensive. 
When you make other people come to you, 

you suddenly become the one controlling 
[he situation. And the one who has contro] 
has power. Two things must happen to place 
you in this position: You yourself must learn 
to master your emotions, and never to be 
influenced by anger; meanwhile, however, 
you must play on people's natural tendency 
to react angrily when pwhed and baited. In 
the long run, the ability to make others come 
to you is a weapon far more powerful than 
any tool of ession. 
One added benefit of making the oppo- 
nent come to you is that it forces him to oper- 
ate in your territory. Being on hostile ground 
will make him nervous and often he will rush 
his actions and make mistakes. For negotia- 
tions or meetings it is always wise to lure 
others into your territory, or the tenitory of 
your choice. You have your bearings, while 
they see nothing familiar and are subtly 
placed on the defensive. 
Manipulation is a dangerous game. 
Once someone suspects he is being manipu- 
lated, it becomes harder and harder to con- 
Uol him. But when you make your opponent 
come to you, you create the illusion that he is 

controlling the situation. 
The great nineteenth-century robber 
baron Daniel Drew was a master at playing 
the stock market. When he wanted a particu- 
lar stock to be bought or sold, driving prices 
up or down, he rarely resorted to the direct 
approach. One of his tricks was to hurry 
through an exclusive club near Wall Street, 
obviously on his way to the stock exchange, 
and to pull out his customary red bandanna 
to wipe his perspiring brow. A slip of paper 
would fall from this bandanna that he would 




pretend not to notice. The club's membbers 
were always g to foresee Drew's moves, 
and they would pounce on the paper, \ 
invariably seemed to contain an inside tip on 
a stock Word would spread, and me:mbeki 
would buy or sell the stock in droves, playing 
perfectly into Drew's hands. 
Eve g dependson Me sweetness of 
your bait. If your tmp is attractive enough, 
the turbulence of your enemies' emotions 
and desires will blind them to reality. The 
greedier they become, the more they can be 
led around. 

Image: The Honeyed Bear 
Trap- The bear hunter does not 
chase his p rey; a bear th at knows 
it is hunted is nearly impossible to 
catch, and is ferocious if cor- 
nered. Instead, the hunter lays 
caps baited with honey. 
He does not exhaust himself 
and risk his life in pursuit. 
He baits, then waits- 

Authority: (l;ood warriors make 
others come to them, and do not 
go to others. This is the principle of 
emptiness and fullness of others 
and self. When you nduce - ppo ' 
nents to come to you, then their 
force is always empty; as long as 
you do not go to them, your force 
is always full. Attacking emptiness 
with fullness is like throwing stones