Information is power.
We all know that.
Knowing about your competition is critical. To remain a step ahead, you have to gather valuable information.
How to do that?
Asking indirect questions to get them to reveal their weak points and intentions is an art that is practiced in every stage of your life.
Practice it, even if you don't have any hidden agenda. Preach the false to get the truth.
There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for practicing this skill.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was known for his ability to let other’s talk endlessly about themselves so they can accidentally disclose their intentions and plans.
“Wit and grace marked his conversation. He [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord] possessed the art of concealing his thoughts or his malice beneath a transparent veil of insinuations, words that imply something more than they express. Only when necessary did he inject his own personality.”
— Baron de Vitrolles (A contemporary of Talleyrand)
