The word “cunning” is often used as a complimentary term in
regards to businessmen. Often popular business profiles describe the glory of
the cunning CEO who negotiated the upper hand in a business deal to great fanfare.
Ben Franklin thought differently of the description however. Ben described
cunning as a vice that is purely personal and cannot be practiced amongst free
assemblies. “A cunning man is obliged to
hunt his game alone and to live in the dark. He is incapable of counsel and
advice because his dishonest purpose dies upon discovery.” He continued, “Cunning
therefore is the wisdom of a fool; one who has designs that he dare not own.”
Certainly then, the cunning man could never have true friends anymore than he
could be one.
On the other hand, a virtuous and honorable man is able to
bear a conference of free debate. He is able to benefit from the law of
attraction as his purpose becomes known. Reputation precedes him and works for him.
Wisdom and business savvy are surely to be held in high esteem.
However, the craftiness and deception
which are commonly associated with cunning I would argue are a far cry from
being admirable. In fact, I would say
that those who would resort to stacking the deck are the very same who cannot
play the game. The practices are short
sighted and breed suspicion. Be careful
of those who shower you in affection for it’s often a means to disguise
intention. For the honorable, they
recognize virtue is an equivalent of wisdom.
