Sun Tuz wrote the classic The Art of War about 2,500 years ago, but a 21st century private investigator can learn from it including my favorite lesson: War is the Art of Deception.

I don’t like conflict.

I just don’t. But… sometimes private investigator work is adversarial. That means, frequently, one side wins and the other side loses.

Hopefully, as a P.I., you’re on the side of Truth and if you have an adversary he or she is violating someone’s rights or trust and you’re the one trying to help get good information so your client can make a wise decision.

So, when you are trying to win during a conflict, you may want your opponent to mis-read your position so they make a mistake allowing you to “win”.

For example, going into an interview, if you know a lot about what happened and who was involved, you may want to “play dumb” allowing the subject to underestimate you and maybe they will slip or give-up a piece of info they think doesn’t mean anything to you!

Do you have a lesson from The Art of War you want to share? Drop it in the comments!

Committed to your success,
Larry Kaye, P.I.

P.S. – Don’t miss this… deception works both ways, and one of the biggest mistakes you can make (in surveillance, interviews, infidelity cases or just about any time!) is to underestimate your “opponent”!

Never underestimate your opponent!