large
sumsof
money
butanother
year
ofhislifeinthe
pursuit,
he
managed
to
put
allofthecon
n'ng’s
leadersbehindbars.Evensomehedidn’tcatch
had
grown
soterrifiedofhimthat
they
tooturnedthemselvesin.
Afterfive
years
of
hunting,
Norfleethad
single-handedlydestroyed
the
country’slargest
confederationofconartists.Theefiort
bankrupted
him
andminedhis
marriage,
buthediedasatisfiedman.
Interpretation
Mostmen
accept
thehumiliationof
being
connedwithasenseof
resigna-
tion.
They
learntheir
lesson,
recognizing
thatthereisno
such
thing
as
a
free
lunch,
andthat
they
have
usually
been
brought
down
by
theirown
greed
for
easymoney.Some,however,
refusetotaketheirmedicine.In
steadof
reflecting
ontheirown
gullibility
and
avarice,
they
see
themselves
as
totally
innocentvictims.
Menlikethis
may
seemtobecrusadersfor
justice
and
honesty,
but
they
are
actuallyimmoderately
insecure.
Being
fooled,
being
conned,
has
activatedtheir
self-doubt,
and
they
are
desperate
to
repair
the
damage.
Werethe
mortgage
onN0rfleet’s
ranch,
the
collapse
ofhis
marriage,
and
the
years
of
borrowingmoney
and
living
in
cheap
hotelsworthhis
revenge
overhisembarrassmentat
being
fleeced?
Tothe
Norfleetsofthe
world,
overcoming
theirembarrassmentisworth
anyprice.
All
people
have
insecurities,
andoftenthebest
way
todeceiveasucker
isto
playupon
hisinsecurities.Butintherealmof
power,everything
isa
question
of
degree,
andthe
person
whois
decidedly
moreinsecurethan
the
average
mortal
presentsgreatdangers.
Bewarned:If
you
practice
de~
ception
or
trickery
of
any
sort,
studyyour
markwell.Some
people’s
inse-
curity
and
egofragility
cannottoleratethe
slightest
offense.Toseeif
you
are
dealing
withsucha
type,
testthem
first—make,
say,
amild
joke
attheir
expense.
Aconfident
person
will
laugh;
an
overly
insecureonewill
reactas
if
personally
insulted.If
yoususpectyou
are
dealing
withthis
type,
findan-
othervictim.
Transgression
III
Inthefifth
century
B.C.,
Ch’ung-erh,
the
prince
ofCh’in
(inpresent-day
China),
hadbeenforcedintoexile.Helived
modestly——even,
sometimes,
in
poverty—waiting
forthetimewhenhecouldreturnhomeandresume
his
princely
life.Oncehewas
passingthrough
thestateof
Cheng,
where
the
ruler,
not
knowing
whohe
was,
treatedhim
rudely.
Ther1.1ler’s
minis-
ter,
Shu
Chan,
sawthisand
said,
“Thismanis
a
worthyprince.May
Your
Highness
treathimwith
greatcourtesy
and
thereby
place
himunderan
obligation!”
Butthe
ruler,
abletosee
only
the
prince’slowly
station,
ig-
noredthisadviceandinsultedthe
princeagain.
ShuChan
again
warned
his
master,
saying,
“IfYour
Highness
cannottreat
Ch’ung~erh
withcour-
tesy,you
should
put
him
to
death,
toavoid
calamity
inthefuture.”The
ruler
only
scoffed.
Years
later,
the
prince
was
finally
abletoreturn
home,
hiscircum-
stances
greatlychanged.
Hedidnot
forget
whohadbeenkindto
him,
and
LAW 19 I41