LAW 28: ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS

JUDGEMENT:
‘If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it.  Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution.  Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness.  Any mistakes you commit thought audacity are easily corrected with more audacity.

Everyone admires the bold: No one honors the timid.’

-Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power (Green, 1998, p. 227)

Pitted against the prideful  Mary in a gambling match of Card Rock-Paper-Scissors, the seemingly naive Yumeko bets two 10,000 yen chips on her hand.  In what seems to be a stroke of beginner’s luck,  Yumeko’s bet pays off; her rock card defeating Mary’s scissors. Testing her luck further, Yumeko ups the ante; betting 50 chips (or 50,000 yen) in round two.  Unshaken by this, Mary tells Yumeko that she’s  quite the gambler, which she politely denies.

As the game progress there is a tie, followed by two wins for Mary.  She’s feeling confident, perhaps a little bit tad cocky even.  The game continues with Yumeko betting 50 chips, only to lose to Mary once more, and owing her 1,000,000 yen.  The transfer student tries her luck again, betting her remaining chips, but it’s all for naught.

Mary wins again.

As Mary stokes her ego, Yumeko requests her for one final game.  Despite Yumeko lacking any chips, Mary honors her request with a smile (while taunting Yumeko; calling her an idiot, etc.).  The prideful girl starts to praise her own genius.  She believes that she can force Yumeko into a debt – thus lowing her social status to  that of livestock.

What Mary didn’t expect was Yumeko betting 10,000,000 yen –  real cash –  not mere poker chips.

Offended, Mary snaps on the bold Yumeko; calling her crazy and careless.

“There’s no way you can afford to bet so much on a single RPS game! You’re crazy!” Cried Mary.  She doesn’t think that Yumeko is actually putting down real money on the line. This is a joke!  Yet,  Yumeko is not joking – she is serious.   She sees the fun in her bold action and high risks. Mary is confused and angry at Yumeko’s recklessness.  She assumes that Yumeko is just mocking her with such fearlessness and is merely baiting her.  She refuse to go on with the game the bet but Yumeko mocks her as she turns away.

“Don’t tell me you have cold feet.” mimicking Mary’s earlier taunts with smug.   Hearing this, Mary reluctantly accepts the offer.

As the girls play their final cards, Yumeko reveals to Mary that she knew that she was paying off  their classmates to manipulate the game to ensure Mary’s victory.  Mary is enraged once more but regains her composure.  Mary thinks that Yumeko is simply bluffing for a win by getting under her skin.  How could she have this knowledge of her using her classmates to win? She is just a simple stupid girl.  She can’t be that smart. Regaining faith in herself, Mary slams down the paper card on the table with the highest confidence.

Alas for Mary, Yumeko held scissor – defeating her.

The bold action of betting with cash as opposed to poker chips and using her skills to dismantle Mary’s cheating system (and a little luck), Yumeko made a name for herself on her first day of her new school by defeating Mary.at her own game.  Her daring spirit took Mary by surprise, as she didn’t expect the new student to pull such a stunt off against her and win.

Yumeko’s brilliant fearlessness humbled the once prideful Mary.

REVERSAL:
‘Boldness should never be the strategy behind all of your actions.  It is a tactical instrument, to be used at the right moment.  Plan and think ahead, and make the final element the bold move that will bring you success.  In other words, since boldness is a learned response, it is also one that you learn to control and utilize at will. To go through life armed only with audacity would be tiring and also fatal. You would offend too many people, as is proven by those who cannot control their boldness.’ (Green, 1998, p. 235)

After accepting an invite to play against Yuriko in her modify roulette game “Life or Death”, Yumeko decides to act bold against the student council member.  Bolder than her earlier match against Mary mind you.  Rather than silently wait until later to reveal the cheating system of Yuriko’s game, she goes off on her with bravado.

“Your methods are the worst.”  Yumeko berates her with a smirk.  In her bravery, she admits to her that she knew that Yuriko baited Mary into the game.  Yuriko took advantage of the broken Mary; luring her with the hope of clearing her debts and reclaim her pride – only to mislead her and sink her further into it. Yumeko compares her to a loan shark, calls her the lowest of the low, and finally – a piece of shit.

Yuriko (trying to hide her anger) simply smiles warmly, brushing off Yumeko’s offensive language and taunts.  Yuriko seems to forgive Yumeko’s brashness, but is quickly angered again when Yumeko starts playing around with her family name, “Nishinotouin” –  calling it a proper family name for a cheap airhead like Yuriko.

Yuriko snaps.

This was a tactic to force Yuriko into rage and bet everything she has blindly.   Yumeko knew Yuriko was cheating. Her personal dealer had  magnetic metal moles implanted in her hands. This was to control the blades’ location in order to influence where each blade landed.   Later, Yumeko explains how this cheat has no absolute guarantee for victory; as you can only control one blade and leave the rest to luck.

After bragging about her successful revelation of the cheat, Yumeko lost the match. Her boldness worked against her as she lost not due to Yuriko’s skills, but simple and pure luck.

With this lost, Yumeko’s status is reduced to the levels of housepet.  But then again, Yumeko doesn’t seem to mind.