The principle
In a world where everything revolves around power, mastering the indirect — flattery, deference, the subtle gesture — beats blunt force every time.
The application
The courtier knows the room, never embarrasses the powerful in public, gives credit lavishly, takes credit quietly, and never lets ambition show its teeth. This is unfashionable advice. It also works.
The defensive tell — how to spot it being run on you
When a peer is unusually skilled at the social mechanics — remembering names, timing compliments, deferring at exactly the right moment — they are not naturally charming. They are practising. Either learn the same or accept that you are operating on different gradients.