Do not show all your cards. An air of mystery heightens your presence; it also creates anticipation.

From Law 6: Court Attention At All Costs: The 48 Laws Of Power

Power depends on visibility. To be influential, you must draw attention to yourself. However, there is a crucial distinction between ordinary attention and strategic attention. If you are too predictable, too open, or too familiar, people lose interest.

Mystery fuels curiosity, keeps people guessing, and gives you the upper hand in all interactions. When people do not know your full intentions, they fear mis-stepping, they desire to understand you, and they project their own interpretations onto you, which makes you larger than life.

The moment you reveal everything, you lose control. If people can fully grasp you, they can define you, categorize you, and ultimately ignore you.

Andy Warhol:

Andy Warhol was a master of cultivating mystique. He didn’t just create art; he created an entire persona that was elusive, enigmatic, and almost robotic. Unlike other artists who passionately explained their work, Warhol refused to provide clear answers, leaving people constantly guessing about his true intentions.

Warhol’s interviews were legendary for their vagueness. When asked deep questions about his art, fame, or philosophy, he would often respond with, "Uh, I don’t know.", "I just do it because I like it.", "Isn’t it just what it is? These deliberately shallow responses frustrated interviewers but fascinated the public. Critics and scholars were forced to interpret his work themselves, which made them more invested. By giving nothing, he made people project their own theories onto him, ensuring his relevance for decades.