It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.  – Niccolò Machiavelli

Cheating the card shark may be fun, but it still makes you a cheater.

What does that mean?
This quote is a little petty, but there is a certain satisfaction in putting something over on someone who regularly tries to deceive others. Successfully lying to a habitual liar would fall into this same category. While the quote is specifically about deceit, I believe it can be applied to other parts of our lives as well.

But why is it considered pleasurable to do something bad to someone who is normally the one doing something bad? I believe it is related to the feeling of supremacy, of besting someone. For some, it might also have to do with beating someone at their own game, to use another old expression. I consider any action of this type to be a bit petty, as I don’t think it would be the proper course of action.

Why is proper behavior important?  
To me, proper behavior is that which benefits not only you, but others as well, while doing harm to the fewest possible (ideally, the number would be zero). When you are doing things to feed your ego, you are certainly not using proper motivation. Improper motivation rarely leads to proper behavior.

Proper behavior, as I stated before, is all about helping others. Even if your intent was to help yourself, if you help others in the process while harming none, you have done well. To me, this is what we should aim for in every thing we do. Consider first whom the action might harm, and work to make that number as close to zero as you can. Then work to maximize the number of people your actions help.

Where can I apply this in my life?
While I don’t often score really high numbers, I do try to make sure what I do harms no one. When I can, I try to make sure my activities help others. Take this blog (Please!) as an example. Some of what I have written has annoyed one person (so far), but has helped many. To me, that is what we should try to do with our lives and our activities.

What are some of the things you do in your life that has an impact on other people? For me, that would be three basic things, this blog, my work with the Boy Scouts and my volunteer work at an elementary school. In each case, I try to do what I can to help others without harming anyone in the process. I usually succeed in the latter, but the former is more of a mixed bag.

What do you do to help others? If you can’t think of anything, perhaps you might want to consider finding something which you can do to provide some assistance to others. Given the differences between us, you will have to search for something that provides satisfaction to you. There are sites that coordinate volunteers in many cities, and churches and civic groups rarely turn down offers of help.

For those who presently have things they do, how can you make your behavior even better? How can you help more people, or help the same number more effectively or efficiently? Look at what you do, and how you do it. Can you think of a better way, by doing more, helping more, or harming less? Talk to people around you and see what they think of the idea.

Some of you might be defensive of their ideas. I know I am. For me, it’s more about being ridiculed for a silly idea, but others might worry about having their idea stolen. In either case, I would try to focus on the desired end benefit, not the possible obstacles in the path. I know, easier said than done, but still worth a try.

While out doing someone, especially someone who you might consider less than great as a person, might hold an emotional appeal, it usually requires you do do something less than great, right? Try to look at the larger picture and do the proper thing. It might feel good for a moment to steal an idea from an idea stealer, but in the end, all it make you is an idea stealer, right?

From: Twitter, @philo_quotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/niccolomac118002.html
Photo by Fifth World Art