The 48 Laws of Power

A man of power, for example, often has dirty work that has to be done, but for the sake of appearances it is generally preferable to have other people do it for him; friends often do this the best, since their affection for him makes them willing to take chances.

The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who

Second, if you have no apparent enemies, you must sometimes set up a convenient target, even turning a friend into an enemy.

As Lincoln said, you destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him.

The key to power, then, is the ability to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.

Better to be wary. If you never expect gratitude from a friend, you will be pleasantly surprised when they do prove grateful.

Strangely enough, it is your act of kindness that unbalances everything. People want to feel they deserve their good fortune. The receipt of a favor can become oppressive:

honesty rarely strengthens friendship, you may never know how a friend truly feels.

The problem is that you often do not know your friends as well as you imagine.