Part 2, Session 3 · Key Techniques for Subtly Undermining Someone

The essence of undermining someone is finding and exploiting cracks: good intentions, conflicting interests, and evidence are all essential.

Key insights

The essence of undermining someone is finding and exploiting cracks: good intentions, conflicting interests, and evidence are all essential.。

2.1 The Essence of Applying Eye Drops

What does it mean to undermine someone?

"Undermining someone: sowing discord to make others suspicious of a target."

Essence: finding and exploiting cracks

"Finding and exploiting cracks: find a gap, wedge in a stick, and stop the gears from turning."

An analogy：

人际关系 = 齿轮
矛盾 = 棍子
上眼药 = 把棍子插进齿轮缝隙

Purpose：

• Make trust collapse
• Drive a wedge between people
• Put yourself in a position of power

2.2 Three Elements of Applying Eye Drops

1. A public-spirited motive

"On the surface, it's for the good of the company, the family, and you."

Function：

• The moral high ground
• Make people willing to listen
• Activate self-interest

Suggested wording：

• "Boss, I'm only thinking of what's best for you..."
• "Honey, I'm doing this for our family..."
• "I'm only doing this for your own good..."

Key：

• Don't reveal your own interests
• You must put yourself in the other person's shoes
• Make the other person think you're acting in their best interests

2. Conflicts of interest

"If there are no conflicting interests, don't bring it up."

Key：

• Identify an imbalance of interests
• Point out how the other party is losing out
• Stoke a sense of crisis

Example：

• "What does Zhang San stand to gain by doing this to you?"
• "What he's doing is harming your interests."
• "He's making moves behind your back."

3. Evidence

"The evidence is rock-solid; it can even be photoshopped."

Form：

• Chat logs
• Recordings
• Transfer Records
• Witness Testimony

Key：

• You need evidence
• The evidence needs to be damning
• One fatal blow

2.3 Steps for Undermining Someone

1. 找到缝隙（矛盾点）
   ↓
2. 公心开场（为你好）
   ↓
3. 指出利益矛盾（他损害你）
   ↓
4. 提供证据（铁证如山）
   ↓
5. 慢慢渗透（建立信任）

The key: take it slowly

"Apply the eye drops one drop at a time, don't pour the whole bottle in at once."

Principle：

• Trust isn't built in a day
• Distrust doesn't develop in a day either
• Take it slowly; exert a subtle, quiet influence

2.4 Types of Undermining

1. Sowing discord

Method：

• Passing along messages
• Spreading rumors
• Exaggerating

Example：

• "I heard Zhang San say that you..."
• "Li Si told me that behind your back..."

2. Rebels

Method：

• Stir up discontent
• Incite rebellion
• Create division

3. Rumors

Method：

• Spread misinformation
• Create panic
• Undermine trust

2.5 Precautions

Things to Avoid

1. Don't say everything all at once

• Say too much, and you'll reveal your intentions
• The other person will become guarded
• The effect will be diminished

2. Don't talk only about feelings

• "I think he's a bad person" → ineffective
• It must be based on interests + evidence

3. Don't reveal your intentions

• You can't let the other person know you want to rise to power
• You must hide your true intentions

4. Don't rush things

• Take it slowly
• Plant doubts a little at a time
• Let suspicion build gradually

The cycles of cosmic justice

"If you rise by undermining others, one day someone will undermine you and bring you down."

Example：

• Zhang Juzheng planted doubts to rise to power
• In the end, his family was stripped of its property
• Although he was later exonerated, he had already died

2.6 How to Guard Against People Planting Doubts

Identify

Signs：

• Someone frequently bad-mouths you
• Your boss suddenly becomes cold toward you
• Your colleagues start distancing themselves from you

How to respond

1. Keep your record clean

• Leave no leverage against yourself
• Do not let anyone catch you with evidence against you
• Act upright and conduct yourself properly

2. Communicate proactively

• When you sense suspicion, explain proactively
• Clear up misunderstandings
• Rebuild trust

3. Counterattack

• Find out who is undermining you
• Fight fire with fire
• Or keep your distance

Key quotes

• "The essence of undermining someone is to exploit weaknesses and look for openings."
• "A public-minded motive + a conflict of interests + evidence—none of these can be missing."
• "Eye drops fall one drop at a time; take it slowly."
• "Trust is not built in a day, nor does it collapse in a day."
• "If you rise by undermining others, one day someone will undermine you and bring you down."
• "What goes around comes around; cause and effect never fail."

Practical Exercises

Recognizing when someone is undermining you

• ☐ Is someone around you undermining you?
• ☐ Has your boss suddenly become cold toward you?
• ☐ Has anyone caught you with evidence against you?

Guarding against being undermined

1. Keep your record clean: Leave no leverage against yourself
2. Communicate proactively: Clear up misunderstandings
3. Find the source: Who is scheming behind your back

*"Undermining someone is a double-edged sword: use it well and you rise; use it poorly and it backfires."*