Rule 106. Don’t Damn the Opposition with Faint Praise

The last Rule may have seemed as if we were approaching something underhand or devious or ruthless. It isn’t. Everything has to be meant, genuine, and honest. Don’t praise them. Not unless you really mean it. It is so easy to undermine someone by using praise when you are actually being rather horrid and stitching them up. You may think this a clever approach. It isn’t. You will be seen through immediately and come across as shallow, vindictive, and really rather ruthless. Remember: If you can’t say anything nice—shut up? Well, you may think that you can get away with saying nasty things, disguised as nice things, but you can’t. This is the sort of thing that is forbidden:

• “Oh, I know Bill is brilliantly wacky. He is such an independent thinker. He really does operate outside of the box; he’s so original and off the wall.”