In the Quentin Tarantino movie "Inglorious Basterds",there is the character of SS Col Hans Landa brilliantly played by Christoph Waltz. All one needs to see of this character's nature is the first scene. He is upon first meeting outwardly charming, accessible, polite, and likeable. He smiles, says all of the right things, and makes you feel like you want to sit with him, and tell stories. It is then that he becomes most dangerous, because he has made you feel very comfortable with his presence. In that comfort he can work his way into a person's psyche, and then show his true colors, and his main agenda. He is a snake who has let you hold him gently, ready to strike and leave a person helpless, and destroy them because they have let their guard down admiring his seemingly personable nature. He is slick, cunning, and observant of weaknesses that he can exploit, and is quite evil underneath the guise of friendliness.No one saw him coming. Although he is just a movie character, he has parallels in real life.
There are two types of adversaries who are tricksters that one encounters in life. One is "The Snake", and the other is "The Clown". These people are one in the same, and usually have the same agendas which is to serve themselves through the dealings and manipulations of others, but they have two ways of coming at you because they are on different levels of operational ability. Both types have immense egos, and inflated ideas of their self importance, and are narcissists through and through, and both are hellbent at showing the world their (in their eyes) underrated intellect and abilities. They both make friends and then proceed to thoroughly burn those bridges by the sheer desire to dominate a situation, or be the top person of an interaction. They constantly win battles by creating conflict that turns situations into struggles for power, and if they can't win, they will use scorched earth tactics while extracting themselves away, but careful to not make themselves look like the cause of the conflict. There is one fundamental difference between these individuals. Intellectual tactic abilities.
"The Clown" is someone that if you are perceptive, you can see coming a mile away. He or she might as well have on a big red nose, and oversize shoes. These folks really aren't as smart as they think they are, and constantly can't get out of their own way while trying to get in the way of yours. People are constantly amazed at how "The Clown" constantly is a bull in a china shop, clumsily getting into situations that require detail and finesse, and finding ways to awkwardly stumble out of those situations while blaming others for the failure. He/she always approaches people from an angle, but that angle and their agenda is visible for many to see it. And if they see it, they have an opportunity to avoid that person, and just not engage. They are usually seen from afar as a loud mouth know it all, because of they can't help opening their mouths which usually blows their cover.The Thick personality of "The Clown" is unrelenting as they don't know how to back down because that is a personal affront to their ego. The Clown wants something from you, and that usually is something that can benefit them on some level, but they usually have no focus, and when they lose focus, that is what actually trips them up.
Many people who engage other people want something from them, and sometimes what that is will be something gained anyway. Knowledge, friendship, comfort, reciprocity of conversation, that would benefit both, validation of opinion or self worth. All of those are things that we as human beings give and take every day from our relationships with others. The Clown wants and needs their ego stroked, and they have no use for you if you don't do it for them, because they get satisfaction from people telling them how wonderful they are, and they really need to hear it constantly. And they will burn that relationship bridge if you do not give them what they need, and do their best to make it seem like you are in the wrong for the demise of the interaction.They will spray you with their fake flower, and you will be covered in water wondering just how you let "The Clown" inside your inner sanctum. But since they are not very smart, all of this is telegraphed, and those wise enough, and alert enough to see it coming can enjoy the ride for their own amusement, or dismiss altogether. Either way, "The Clown" doesn't always win because of it, but they win enough times to create havoc.They are perceived as harmless because of the clumsiness that they exhibit, but they use that perception to their advantage.
"The Snake" is a different story altogether. These folks are savvy, and they are extremely good at showing different facades tailored to whomever they are after. "The Snake" manages to be articulate, polite, and knows how to put words together to imply that they are intelligent and positive, and full of light and wisdom.They understand when to hunt, and when to hide in the shadows. They have a way of working themselves into situations, and groups of people by making them feel comfortable, and making them think that they are a like minded individual. Coiled and docile for the moment, "The Snake" is aware enough to lay back and observe, before asserting any type of clue of the agenda. And the agenda is self serving destruction.. Like "The clown", "The Snake" needs their ego stroked also, but how they achieve that is more calculating. Now that they have worked their way into a situation, the goal is to take over by making it seem like a good idea. Because they are now well liked, the process of divide and conquer happens, because you will have people who have seen "The Snake" by now for their true colors, and people who have not. And the people who have seen and understand what is happening try to prevent it. "The Snake" wants this, because secretly they have disdain for situations that do not include the focus upon them, therefore they know just how to break it up so either they are the focus, or that the situation just ceases to exist.They will have crept up and bitten someone with venom, and paralyzed all around before anyone realizes what happened. And because of the slick personality that they are, they are perceived as wonderful for putting up with the antics of chaos which upon scrutiny it's revealed that, "The Snake" created it.
Both of these types of individuals are rampant in society, and if you look closely at your own lives, there are individuals that you have encountered just like them both. The problem with these individuals around is that they create allies, and people who actually believe that they are contributing something in some sort of way. Those allies will be in cahoots with them for their agenda. There is never a true home for them with people because they float to whomever they believe has the lightest coat tail at the moment. Once that coat tail is weighed down, and the person is useless to them, they will have latched onto someone else for something else. Anyone who questions their intellect or aspect of what they do, gets ostracized and perhaps even publicly dragged through the mud. All in an effort to retain the ignorant pride that they possess. They cannot, and will not take advice, and because of control issues, they usually would be extremely successful if they worked with others, and focused on their own personal goals in their minds. But they have to control and/or sabotage things that they shouldn't or can't control in the quest to maintain their image of actually being in control. A wicked spiral for both.
These folks are actually dangerous to your well being, because getting involved with them means being frustrated, and possibly manipulated into relinquishing control to your own goals in favor of something that they want you to do for them. It is all about them, and what they need despite the words that come out of their mouths. The thick and slick personalities of these individuals are easy to spot when you see the agenda. The agenda is them, and their goals. (Enough about me, here's more about me) Be careful of "The Clown" because you feel sorry for them.You want to help them, because you may see them as needing a friend that cares. What they are actually looking for is someone, anyone who has something that they can use. Be careful of "The Snake" because you may admire and feel comfortable around them.That person is looking for the same but is usually intelligent enough to execute these exercises from multiple home bases. Both feelings of concern and admiration will fade respectively, but it will be too late because they have entered your space, and altered your own personal agenda which should be you in conjunction and harmony with the agenda of others..Not their philosophy which is them way over, and be damned the agenda of others.
Sprayed with a fake flower, or bitten with venom. Both are very uncomfortable, and embarrassing.And both come from the same type of individual..You were warned.
