Qabus-nama

2 ideas

1. Learn a trade as insurance against fortune

   Rank, wealth and dynastic power are on loan from fortune and can be withdrawn at any time, so a prince should master practical crafts and professions as though he might one day need them to live. What a man knows and can do goes with him when everything he holds is taken away.

2. Never tell a truth resembling a lie

   Listeners judge a statement by how plausible it sounds, not by whether it is accurate. A true account that sounds unbelievable costs the speaker credibility, while a plausible falsehood is readily accepted. The prudent speaker therefore holds back true claims he cannot make credible, because reputation for honesty depends on what others can believe.

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