It's easy. Pretend to know what you don't, and pretend not to know when you do. Hear what you don't understand and don't hear what you do. Promise what you cannot deliver, what you have no intention of delivering. Make a great secret of hiding what isn't there. Plead you're busy as you spend your time sharpening pencils. Speak profoundly to cover up your emptiness, encourage spies, reward traitors, tamper with seals, intercept letters, hide the ineptitude of your goals by speaking of them glowingly-that's all there is to politics, I swear. -Beaumarchais, The Marriage of Figaro
In Beaumarchais' perspective, politics is portrayed as a deceptive game filled with pretense and subterfuge. Individuals often pretend to have knowledge they lack, and conversely, choose to ignore what they actually understand. This disingenuous behavior extends to making promises that won't be fulfilled and concealing truths, with the intention of creating an illusionary front. The metaphor of sharpening pencils while being "busy" illustrates the triviality of the actual work compared to the facades maintained.
Furthermore, the passage suggests that the art of political maneuvering involves creating profound speeches that obscure one's true emptiness. It implies a culture that nurtures deceit, rewards betrayal, and engages in clandestine activities, all while promoting a false narrative about one's capabilities. Through these actions, the ineffectiveness of political goals is masked by flowery language, revealing a deep skepticism about the authenticity of political practice.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
