Unlimited Power over Mortals

I've done more in twenty years than most people do in a lifetime. I've been everything from a cyberpunk to a gang leader. I've been a pacifist in cases no one ever cared about and shed blood in places no one will ever know about. I've been a lover, a best friend, hated, and the bane of some people's existence.

I'm just getting started but I feel like I should be about ready to throw off my mortal shell. I feel old, tired, and ready to be done. But with a long way to go, there are a few truths that I can proclaim with utter certainty. Only one of those truths matters in this human world:

Loyalty is power.

Loyalty is a very interesting thing, because most people equate it to friendship or love when that is not at all the case. It's just as possible to love someone and show no loyalty whatsoever as it is to hate someone but realize that you must stand by him.

It's important to note that some pseudo-intellectual tricksters (myself falling into that lot quite often) might try to say that only the illusion of loyalty is necessary, and that the actual thing is not required so long as the illusion remains in tact. Though Socrates argued against this lack of justice at length, I cannot or will not because it is unnecessary.

While the illusion of loyalty may serve short term goals, in the long run, all humans are instilled with equal amounts of foolishness at heart, and the illusionist will fail at some point in his creation. There is a time when the attentive soul will see through the guise and the repercussions of this are generally leaning toward the utter destruction of who the victim views to be a grand betrayer.

The only guaranteed power is through that of genuine loyalty. It is not important that you remain loyal to those you wish to hold power over unless it is mandatory for them to publicly display their loyalty to you. It is only by the public display of loyalty that others are forced to credit you with authenticity and admit concessions to logical mandates.

Public, loyalty, authentic, logical. Key words.

Although private loyalty can in some cases be used as an offensive mechanism, it can only be done by the utilization of fear and is therefore only good in the hands of the most deft of linguists or leaders, and for this reason only public loyalty should be utilized by the majority of people wishing to come to victories.

There are many different ways of accumulating the loyalty of others. The most important factor is to never make concessions to any extreme. If you appear as balanced, logical, and just, then they will decide that their desires should be the same as your own and will further your aims above theirs, because they will make your aims theirs. As long as you are consistently logical and just, when you are occasionally slightly off-center, the diverting action will go unquestioned.

When working toward a malicious or self-serving goal, these off-centered steps must be taken in as small of fractions as possible, and if noted, they must be portrayed to be as logical and selfless as possible while reminding the viewer or listener that the action is what they want and in their favor.

There are a few warnings about obtaining a nearly unlimited power over people in this casual way:

Be wary of false loyalty in others.

The only failsafe way to ensure that your loyalty is not viewed as false is to ensure that it is real.

Intelligent or foolish, beautiful or disgusting, everyone can be used at some point for some goal.

It is impossible to truly tell when a person has outlived his use. Even after your goal is complete, maintain your loyalties for the event that the person may be of use again.

Loyalty is based first on the human and then on the ideals. If they can not find respect or friendship for you, they will not find true loyalty.

There's more but chances are no one who reads this will be able to put it into practice effectively anyway, so I'm going to play DOTA with Aeons like a hero.