Have you ever felt like you lost control of a situation while trying to be quick? Baltasar Gracián (The Manual Oracle and Art of Prudence) emphasizes that practicality is the way you choose the timing, tone, and outcomes of your actions, and it is especially important to act better under pressure.
When you feel under pressure, it is common for your judgment to become clouded. To prevent this, these seven rules inspired by his work will help you regain control and avoid reacting impulsively.
1. Don’t Confuse Speed with Effectiveness
With the understanding of “Be slow, I’m in a hurry,” Gracián highlights the art of not rushing. External pressure may force you to act quickly, but true mental agility requires a pause beforehand.
Therefore, before responding to a hostile email or a hurtful WhatsApp message, count to ten or wait an hour. Use this time to analyze whether your response aims to solve the problem or simply to vent your frustration.
“Never hurry and be passionate. First be the master of yourself, then of others.”
2. Withdraw in Time
Practicality also involves defining the point where continuing only leads to losses. Gracián emphasizes the importance of knowing when to leave a discussion or a task before the potential gains of personal weariness are outweighed.
For example, when a discussion goes in circles, end the interaction before the damage to your relationship becomes irreparable. The same applies when there’s no future left for a business project.
“The best trick in the game is knowing how to step aside.”
3. Stay Under the Radar
Complete transparency makes you vulnerable. Gracián suggests not showing all your cards right away; this allows others to anticipate your moves or manipulate your weaknesses.
Therefore, listen more than you speak and allow others to reveal themselves first. Don’t disclose your future plans either, so you can protect your projects from external interventions. A bit of secrecy gives you authority and forces your environment to act more cautiously.
4. Change Your Behavior
If your reactions are always the same, you become predictable and easily weakened. Therefore, Gracián advises not to always be the same person to maintain the initiative.
If you usually express yourself, try silence or active listening. Changing your behaviors makes it harder for others to predict your steps and helps you resist changes.
“There must always be innovation to display; for every day more, it keeps the expectation alive, and no one can discover the terms of its great treasure.”
5. Always Consider Another Move
To have criteria, you must evaluate today’s action and tomorrow’s results. Therefore, by anticipating the domino effect of your words, ensure that your current comfort does not become your future condemnation.
Before making a decision, ask what you can create in the medium term. Don’t just seek a momentary victory that could create more problems; design moves that will put you in a better position for the next challenge.
6. Be Honest in a Gentle Way
Respect is necessary to be practical. Therefore, Gracián does not recommend speaking without a filter. Sometimes, it is better to maintain form or remain silent to avoid conflict.
If you are making a criticism, use constructive words that promote change instead of attack. You don’t need to lie to be kind; choose a tone that allows the truth to be heard without making it vulnerable.
Practicality is the intelligence of the brave.
7. Prefer Brevity
Talking too much increases the likelihood of making mistakes or revealing information you should keep hidden. Brevity gives power to your ideas; unnecessary words diminish that power. Speak less in critical moments. This makes you appear more trustworthy and forces others to think about their own words.
“What is good, if it is short, is twice as good.”
These ideas are not an invitation to manipulation. They are also not about remaining silent out of cowardice. Rather, it is about choosing a better response for every situation. If you only use these rules to deceive, you will lose the trust of your environment; which is the least practical behavior.
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