Part 3/9:
Today’s penchant for “authenticity” often leads to strategic suicide, as Machiavelli would phrase it. The loud and proud become predictable, and predictability invites vulnerability. Machiavelli’s insight that “everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are” serves as a message of caution: the more you expose yourself, the more you redefine your identity for others. When you announce plans or share emotions widely, you open yourself up to judgment and envy. Consequently, maintaining an aura of mystery becomes a form of power.