Evil Overlord Tip #6: Do not gloat!

[–] InnocentBystander 1 points (+1|-0)

What about indirect gloating?
Something like a Keyser Söze style 'myth'. It would allow you to remain hidden, but still hear people talk about how great you are.

[–] TheRedArmy [OP] 2 points (+2|-0)

Edited

I think the main idea is that when your enemies are at your mercy, don't lord it over them like a cat playing with the mouse.

Here, although the image is a bit small, Chaotica has Captain Janeway at his mercy. He could easily end her life at a whim, but instead, decides to let her live so as to watch while he destroys her "realm", the realm of Queen Arachnia. But she uses this time to devise a trick, and Chaotica eventually releases her and she escapes with Commander Chakotay.

Of course, if he just ended the threat immediately, there would have been no escape.

What you're talking about (I had to look it up real quick, I've never seen The Usual Suspects), is more of a long con, deceiving your enemies into believing you are more formidable than you truly are. This is a common and useful tactic you can employ; if you can simply make people so afraid of you that they capitulate rather than face your wrath, that would seem to be a good thing.

I once read a story where something like that happened, in the Louis L'Amore novel Fair Blows the Wind. Our protagonist, Chantry, mostly alone, but with a few friends he made in London, is trying to figure out how to deal with a brutal enemy of his, Leckenbie, I believe his name was. Chantry, in an attempt to discredit and injure Leckenbie's reputation, wrote a vicious attack on his character that he had published in the newspaper. In it, he wrote of Leckenbie's misdeeds that he knew about, but also exaggerated and invented a few of his own, to make him seem even worse. This had the opposite effect, that Leckenbie's rivals becomes so fearful of him that they immediately agreed to become his subordinates.

So this kind of puffing up of your reputation is certainly useful, but the problem is if the heroes are in a position where they have no business escaping, but your gloating allows them to get away. That's what cannot happen if you want to be successful.

I think the main idea is that when your enemies are at your mercy, don't lord it over them like a cat playing with the mouse. [Here](http://www.startrek.com/legacy_media/images/200303/voy-257-dr--chaotica-woos-a-pe/320x240.jpg), although the image is a bit small, Chaotica has Captain Janeway at his mercy. He could easily end her life at a whim, but instead, decides to let her live so as to watch while he destroys her "realm", the realm of Queen Arachnia. But she uses this time to devise a trick, and Chaotica eventually releases her and she escapes with Commander Chakotay. Of course, if he just ended the threat immediately, there would have been no escape. What you're talking about (I had to look it up real quick, I've never seen _The Usual Suspects_), is more of a long con, deceiving your enemies into believing you are more formidable than you truly are. This is a common and useful tactic you can employ; if you can simply make people so afraid of you that they capitulate rather than face your wrath, that would seem to be a good thing. I once read a story where something like that happened, in the Louis L'Amore novel _Fair Blows the Wind_. Our protagonist, Chantry, mostly alone, but with a few friends he made in London, is trying to figure out how to deal with a brutal enemy of his, Leckenbie, I believe his name was. Chantry, in an attempt to discredit and injure Leckenbie's reputation, wrote a vicious attack on his character that he had published in the newspaper. In it, he wrote of Leckenbie's misdeeds that he knew about, but also exaggerated and invented a few of his own, to make him seem even worse. This had the opposite effect, that Leckenbie's rivals becomes so fearful of him that they immediately agreed to become his subordinates. So this kind of puffing up of your reputation is certainly useful, but the problem is if the heroes are in a position where they have no business escaping, but your gloating allows them to get away. _That's_ what cannot happen if you want to be successful.

Evil Overlord Tip #6: Do not gloat!

2 comments

/s/Whatever