What is cunning: definition, meaning and examples

What it is?

What is cunning: does this concept have a definition? Cunning is the ability to use various methods and techniques that a person has in order to achieve his goals. The definition is pretty clear, isn't it? Although, let's translate it into a more accessible language.

Cunning is deception with the help of which one’s goals are achieved. Such a definition will be more honest and correct.

Definition of the concept

It is quite difficult to give an exact definition of cunning, since it is multifaceted. Further in the article we will consider the concept of cunning as it applies to a person’s personality.

Cunning is the ability to use different methods and techniques to achieve a goal.

To be more precise, cunning is a deception, thanks to which one easily gains confidence in a person for the sake of further obtaining one’s own benefit. In cases where someone close to you is deceiving, it looks like betrayal.

What actions show cunning:

• Depending on the circumstances, a person changes his opinion to a completely different one, sometimes even the opposite.
• Knowing the weaknesses of another person, use them for private purposes.
• Hypocrisy, i.e. say one thing and do something different.

It is worth noting that, good or bad, everyone is cunning. It’s just that many people do it unintentionally, which makes them seem straightforward and unsophisticated. Even small children, when they need something, begin to dissemble to influence adults:

• They pretend to be sick so as not to go to school.
• Healthy enough to let you go for a walk.
• Erasing bad grades in school diaries.
• They throw tantrums in stores when they don't get what they want.

This trend does not end with age. On the contrary, the individual hones his skills and uses his skills everywhere.

Types of cunning

What is cunning and what types does it come in? We have dealt with the first part of the question. Now let's talk about the second one.

Cunning can be innate or acquired. Innate cunning is an intuitive behavior pattern. It allows you to achieve your goal in various indirect ways: resourcefulness, invention, dexterity and other techniques. Often innate cunning manifests itself in primitive lies. For example, a child deceives his parents, but they know that he is lying. And when the child is exposed, the descendant throws a scandal, trying to get his way. Here the parents either retreat, thereby reinforcing the child’s unwanted behavior, or stop such behavior. Innate cunning is based on intuitive behavior and does not require knowledge.

As for acquired cunning, it is based on knowledge. A person gains worldly experience, acquires wisdom and learns to achieve his goals in indirect ways. All useful tricks that a person acquires in the course of life are built on knowledge.

How to be cunning

To become cunning you need to know the right approaches to people.
Moreover, each person needs his own individual approach. Applying the same behavioral techniques to different people allows you to quickly recognize deception. They can be punished for it, and it is also possible to make a bunch of enemies. Cunning people, as a rule, try to live without conflicts. They lie in order to achieve their goals peacefully. Such personalities can influence a person in such a way that he will be ready to do anything for the cunning person and will be happy about it, not realizing that he was used.

The trick is multifaceted

The first subsection provided a definition of this concept. But is it really that simple? What does cunning include? Deception, deceit, resourcefulness, concealment of something, manipulation, hypocrisy. Some of the listed qualities can hardly be called positive.

But is a cunning person equal to a deceiver? Not always, because very often it happens that cunning is used not with the aim of distorting the true facts, but in a wise context. It’s one thing when a person sells a dog because he’s moving and keeps silent about the fact that it has already bitten all family members more than once. Cheated? Yes, but this trick is false. And it’s a completely different matter when a woman has to spin around and save a pretty penny because her husband doesn’t give extra money for expenses. And my wife is on maternity leave, for example. And with the money saved she buys something for the child. Also cunning, but based on wisdom. A woman is cunning not for the purpose of lying, but in order to improve the life of her own child.

Or the husband sees that his wife is upset. He gives her a compliment that may not be true. The man is cunning, but it is a wise cunning.

Another example: a father manipulates a child, knowing how much he loves him. And he manipulates in his own interests, without taking into account the moral state of his offspring. Is this a positive trick? Of course not.

Cancer

Cancer is a secretive nature. It's not that he lies, he doesn't say anything. If Cancer doesn't want to talk about something, he won't. He will remain silent, deny, and evade the topic of conversation.

Cancer women's tendency to lie. Relationships, family, loved ones come first. Such a girl will compose fables solely out of concern for her loved ones.

Cancer men's tendency to lie. Cancer men in this regard are not too different from the fair sex of the same sign - they lie not to infringe on the interests of the woman they love, but for her own good.

How to recognize a lie. Look Cancer in the eyes and ask directly. Few of the representatives of this sign will be able to lie even after this. However, even if you caught him in a lie, he still won’t tell you the truth. Reasons for lying. Most often, Cancer's lies are white lies. So that his loved ones do not worry and worry. Or it concerns Cancer’s finances, and here he will lie without a twinge of conscience.

What's wrong with the fox?

We have looked at what cunning is. This concept is multifaceted. And you can add something else to it. The “composition” of cunning includes flattery. This is what that same red fox took - the trickster from Russian fairy tales and fables.

Take, for example, the fable “The Crow and the Fox.” The fox really wanted cheese. But instead of asking the crow, she charmed the bird. Having asked honestly, it is unlikely that the redhead would have received the desired piece in full. If only I had received it at all. And if you were flattered by how well the crow sings, please eat. The crow was hooked and paid with its food.

How often do people become such ravens when they fall for flattery? Only the payback is much more expensive than a piece of cheese.

Aquarius

Aquarius is an intellectual. And here it all depends on what type he belongs to. Some Aquarians prefer the truth. Others may even like to lie - this is a good training for the intellect, to calculate everything so that no one will ever understand where the truth was and where the fiction was. But more often Aquarians prefer not to lie.

Aquarius women's tendency to lie. They don’t like lies; it’s much easier for them to keep silent about something than to pile fake stories on top of each other.

Aquarius men's tendency to lie. Monogamy is rarely one of the virtues of Aquarius, but at the same time he can, like Taurus or Gemini, lie to everyone, or he may not lie to anyone.

How to recognize a lie. If Aquarius is absent-minded, he may get confused in his own inventions. He also has very honest eyes when he comes up with his tall tales - this is how you can “catch” him. Reasons for lying. To protect your inner world from external encroachments, or because the other side is not ready for the truth.

Household tricks

They say that every housewife has her own tricks. Some, for example, are very good at preparing marinades with their own hands; such housewives have their own tricks. Secondly, they bake amazing pies, and thirdly, they cook soups that will make you lick your fingers. Is there any deception in such tricks? No, they are built on worldly wisdom. And they do not harm others, rather the opposite. If you go to such a hostess's house, you won't leave hungry.

Each of us has our own household tricks. How, for example, do you clean a microwave? It's simple: pour water into a bowl and put it in the microwave for half an hour. This everyday trick will be useful to many housewives.

About cunning and emotions

We now know what cunning is. What it is like and what it is based on. The subtitle is quite strange, but the question arises: will a cunning person allow himself to have emotions?

Imagine that you really want to wash the bones of a harmful and annoying colleague. She needs everything, she sticks her nose everywhere. Again she offended her young colleague, and she can’t wait to express her indignation and share it with her colleague and friend. So a young girl shares such injustice, is indignant, and decisively condemns the old and harmful employee who reprimanded her.

Have you released your emotions? But is this a wise thing to do? Hardly. A wise and cunning person will not give vent to his emotions in public. But he will make it so that the same colleague-offender will release emotions. And he will do it very competently and subtly, without offending her.

Is it possible? Quite. Calmly listen to the offender, and then, without raising your tone, say that the boss has no complaints about the work yet. How long ago did a colleague become his deputy? Or did he shift his authority to her? Oh no? Then please do your job, and I can handle mine on my own.

Is your colleague outraged? Her right. Everything was said culturally, without getting personal. Why is this lady letting out emotions, who is to blame for her? You need to be more balanced.

Step-by-step instructions for overcoming addiction

• Step 1 – AWARENESS.
  Start by recognizing and accepting the fact that addiction exists. Mentally talk to yourself, say that you would like to get rid of this condition. This step is very important, the brain is accustomed to thinking that this is love, not addiction, your sincere readiness for change will force the subconscious to look for options to change the situation.
• Step 2 – SOLUTION.
  The next step should be a firm decision to leave the painful relationship or a decision to change your personality (thoughts and behavior) within the existing relationship. It is necessary to understand that dependent relationships are supported by both participants in the union, so if you get rid of addiction, your partner will either have to change in order to follow you into a new healthy relationship, or leave himself.
• Step 3 – DEFINING BOUNDARIES.
  Learn to refuse your partner and defend your position. At this stage, self-love gradually returns, you will begin to do what you like, listen to your desires.
• Step 4 – FILLING THE VOID .
  In a dependent relationship, your own hobbies have long faded into the background. Start getting to know yourself again. You can make a list, indicate in it what your partner gives you that you cannot give yourself, and start bringing joy to yourself. You can also listen to yourself, remember what you loved to do, what was interesting to you, resume lost friendships or family relationships, return to an old hobby or find a new one. Sports or dancing can be an effective medicine, because by improving one’s body, a person not only increases self-esteem, but also gains health and a good mood.
• Step 5 – STUDY YOUR PROBLEM FROM THE INSIDE.
  Addiction is a complex psychological condition, and not everyone can cope with it on their own or see their problem from the outside. In our “Psychology of Addiction” course, experienced teachers will tell you how to cope with emotional dependence, teach methods of mental correction and help you acquire a new profession as a psychologist to help not only yourself, but also other people in a similar situation.
• Step 7 – NEW RELATIONSHIP.
  Start building new relationships or analyze your feelings in existing relationships - how strong is your addiction still, is there any change for the better. To do this, on a scale from 1 to 100, determine how happy you are.

Interesting everyday tricks

Do you know what everyday tricks are and how interesting they can be? Let's talk a little about them:

• Do you have to hammer a nail, but you're afraid of hitting your finger with a hammer? The nail can be held with a clothespin.
• It is necessary to remove text written with a pen or printed. A piece of sharp glass will help. They can be used to cut letters without damaging the paper.
• Need to mend a hole in your sock? Use a regular light bulb. Put a sock on it and tighten the hole. You can sew it up.
• The computer refused to read the disk? The disk is moistened with cold water, wiped dry and again given over to the computer.
• To measure the length of something, you don't have to look for a ruler. A matchbox can replace it. Its length is 5 cm.
• For those who suffer from acne, there is a simple recipe: a tablet of any antibiotic, suprastin and aspirin is crushed. Add half a teaspoon of water and stir the mixture. Apply to problem areas using a cotton swab, remove after 15-20 minutes and wash with cool water. After a couple of weeks of this course, the number of acne will noticeably decrease.

Symptoms of neurosis

Pathology manifests itself both at the physical and psycho-emotional levels. Physical symptoms include increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, chest pain and dry mouth, headaches, blurred vision, tremors of the limbs, skin rashes, and menstrual irregularities in women.

Psychological symptoms: a feeling of loss of control, a feeling that the person is “going crazy”, fear of sudden death, excessive worry, high sensitivity and vulnerability.

• Irritability;
• Constant feeling of fatigue and apathy;
• Increased sensitivity;
• Social isolation;
• Frequent and unexpected mood swings;
• Disturbances in sleep and wakefulness;
• Loss of interest in life or certain areas of it.

It is the constant feeling of anxiety for one’s life or the lives of loved ones that causes insomnia in a person. Problems with sleep do not allow the body and nervous system of those suffering from neurasthenia to fully rest. This, in turn, further intensifies all the symptoms listed above.

Therefore, for insomnia, experts recommend several simple and effective rules:

• Follow a daily routine, that is, try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time;
• Play sports, giving the body a light load;
• Be in the fresh air more often;
• Reduce the number of drinks containing caffeine;
• Eat light foods to avoid stomach discomfort.

For what reasons does neurosis develop?

• Strong mental activity;
• Prolonged psychological distress and anxiety;
• Psychological pressure due to the inability to solve life problems;
• Long-term loneliness and problems in the personal sphere of life;
• Traumatic event in life: loss of a loved one, difficult divorce, difficult financial situation, if the person has been subjected to emotional and physical abuse, etc.;
• High expectations. In this case, the person cannot achieve the desired goal and experiences a feeling of an impossible plan;
• Psychological trauma received in childhood: humiliation or beating from peers and parents, example of a bad lifestyle from adults, harsh upbringing;
• Failure to comply with work and rest schedules.

Let's summarize

The main purpose of the article is to tell the reader what cunning is. The main aspects are highlighted below:

• Cunning is the ability to achieve one’s goals with the help of tricks and manipulations that a person owns. This is to put it very briefly and simply.
• It can be congenital or acquired.
• Cunning is not always deceptive and flattering. It is often associated with wisdom.
• If cunning does not harm others, it can hardly be called deception.
• An emotional person does not have sufficient wisdom if he does not know how to hide his emotions. And that means cunning.

What is the cause of dependent relationships?

If you recognize yourself, your partner or the history of your acquaintances/relatives, you will probably be interested: what is the reason for this picture, what is wrong, why did this happen?

The causes of emotional dependence are usually:

• parental dislike in childhood;
• the presence of psychotrauma suffered in childhood;
• excessive parental care;
• noticeably low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence;
• the desire to receive approval and praise from parents and others;
• disrespectful attitude of parents;
• existence in poor material conditions;
• emotional infantility;
• fear of one's own uselessness;
• fear of loneliness;
• inability to take responsibility for one's behavior;
• frequent criticism;
• the desire to be subordinate to someone;
• improper upbringing;
• an absurd idea of ​​love, the desire to be one with the object of adoration, to be together from morning to evening;
• the presence of psychological complexes.