Baltasar Gracián

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Underpromise and Overdeliver

  Marketing

  One should start with modest claims to awaken curiosity without inflating expectations, ensuring that the final reality exceeds what was promised.

  Supporting quotes

  • “When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.”

    “We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations, and something turns out better than we thought it would.”

    “To overvalue something is a form of lying.”

• The Danger of First Impressions

  Decisions

  People often commit to the first piece of information they receive, leaving no room for the truth that follows later.

  Supporting quotes

  • “When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.”

    “We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations, and something turns out better than we thought it would.”

    “To overvalue something is a form of lying.”

• Strategic Scarcity

  Sales

  To maintain influence and appeal, one must always leave others wanting more rather than providing total satisfaction.

  Supporting quotes

  • “When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.”

    “We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations, and something turns out better than we thought it would.”

    “To overvalue something is a form of lying.”

• Taste as Discernment and Judgment

  Decisions

  Taste is not just a feeling but a capacity for critical judgment and discernment that is refined through intellectual conversation rather than just reading.

  Source Korean Wikipedia: 발타사르 그라시안  (opens in a new tab)