Arm yourself with prudence, and never completely lay down your arms, not even for friends.

Always be prepared and cautious, even in your interactions with allies and friends.

In both war and life, the greatest danger often comes not from your enemies but from those closest to you—your friends and allies. These are the people who can betray you the easiest because they have access to your vulnerabilities. Therefore, never becoming too complacent or letting your guard down completely, even in seemingly safe relationships. Always be prudent, strategic, and prepared to defend yourself if necessary.

Prudence is about being cautious and careful in your actions and decisions. Even in relationships of trust, one should be prudent—always thinking ahead and preparing for potential betrayal or conflict. While it’s important to show trust and loyalty, completely letting down your guard makes you vulnerable. Being too relaxed and trusting can lead to complacency, which enemies—or even friends—can exploit.

Over time, friends and allies can become too comfortable, potentially leading to envy, competition, or conflict. People close to you can become your greatest rivals because they know your weaknesses. You should always maintain a certain level of distance and vigilance, ensuring that you do not reveal everything about yourself or rely too heavily on others.

Even with friends, there should always be a "contingency plan." Trust is important, but blind trust is dangerous. Always keep some information to yourself, and never become entirely dependent on others. It is essential to observe and analyze even those who are close to you, as human nature is unpredictable and circumstances can change, turning friends into foes.

By never laying down your arms, you maintain control over your situation. This does not mean being paranoid or distrusting everyone, but it means staying alert and ready to respond to any potential threat.

Mark Zuckerberg and the Early Facebook Founders

(Photo from the movie: The Social Network)

In the early days of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg co-founded the company with his college friends Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. They started the company with a shared vision and the trust that came from friendship and shared college experiences. Eduardo Saverin, in particular, was a close friend and one of the initial co-founders who helped finance Facebook in its infancy.

• As Facebook began to grow rapidly, Mark Zuckerberg started to take actions that were aligned more with his business goals rather than maintaining the original friendships and agreements. He brought in Sean Parker, who was more experienced in the tech startup space, to help with scaling Facebook.

• Zuckerberg and Parker believed that Saverin’s conservative approach and lack of experience could hinder Facebook’s potential for growth. So, instead of directly confronting or breaking off with Eduardo, Zuckerberg restructured the company in a way that diluted Eduardo’s shares significantly.

• Eduardo Saverin trusted Zuckerberg and the early friendship but failed to protect his interests with formal agreements that could have safeguarded his equity stake and decision-making power.

Results:

• Saverin eventually sued Facebook and Zuckerberg for breaching fiduciary duty and settled out of court. He was able to retain the title of co-founder and a share of the company but lost significant influence and control.

• Zuckerberg, on the other hand, maintained his vision for Facebook’s future without allowing the personal relationship with Saverin to dictate business decisions. He kept his "arms" up by having the foresight to make strategic business decisions, even at the cost of personal relationships.