--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The guy was shrewder than he looked. I…" description: "\"“The guy was shrewder than he looked. I realized I had given too much credence to the scrawny body and the obvious age, and had underestimated him. Wat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/127/barry-eisler-1009_first-time_the-guy-was-shrewder-than-he-looked-i-re_205544.png" --- # The guy was shrewder than he looked. I realized I had… ![“The guy was shrewder than he looked. I realized I had given too much credence to the scrawny body and the obvious age, and had underestimated him. Watching him set up what would be our makeshift classroom, I wondered whether there would be some value to that. Getting people to underestimate you…” quote by Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/127/barry-eisler-1009_first-time_the-guy-was-shrewder-than-he-looked-i-re_205544.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/127/barry-eisler-1009_first-time_the-guy-was-shrewder-than-he-looked-i-re_205544.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/127/barry-eisler-1009_first-time_the-guy-was-shrewder-than-he-looked-i-re_205544.png) > ““The guy was shrewder than he looked. I realized I had given too much credence to the scrawny body and the obvious age, and had underestimated him. Watching him set up what would be our makeshift classroom, I wondered whether there would be some value to that. Getting people to underestimate you. Not letting them see what was under the hood. Preventing them from seeing it coming. I thought of the Japanese expression Nō aru taka wa, tsume o kakusu. The hawk with talent hides its talons. It had always been just that for me, an expression. But for the first time, I felt an inkling of what it might really imply.”” [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Underestimating someone can be a strategic advantage; hidden strengths can surprise opponents. **In simple terms:** Hide your abilities to gain an edge. Key Takeaway Use discretion to protect your capabilities. Themes strategy perception deception self awareness psychology Mood cautious strategic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - business negotiations - competitive sports - personal branding Key Concepts tactical advantage hidden talent Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to reveal your strengths? - How can you balance humility with confidence? A Different Perspective Overreliance on secrecy may backfire if trust is broken. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Hawk Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hawk-talent-462660/) [Japanese Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japanese-expression-2135407/) [Kakusu Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kakusu-hawk-2135408/) [Talent Hides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent-hides-2135410/) [Thought Japanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-japanese-2135409/) ## Related quotes > [“No aru taka wa, tsume o kakusu, as the Japanese saying goes. The hawk with talent hides its talons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/no-aru-taka-wa-tsume-o-kakusu-as-the-japanese-saying-goes-the-hawk/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [All the worse for the undeniable talent which hides the evil so subtly and makes the danger so delightful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/all-the-worse-for-the-undeniable-talent-which-hides-the-evil-so/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Every man and woman who has talent and hides it will be called a slothful servant. Improve day by day upon the capital you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/every-man-and-woman-who-has-talent-and-hides-it-will-be-called-a/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Your Fame hides in your Fortune Your Fortune hides in your Talent Your Talent hides in your Skills Your Skills hides in your Ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rotimi/your-fame-hides-in-your-fortune-your-fortune-hides-in-your-talent/) [Rotimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rotimi/) > [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. 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For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/) [Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured, smiling a slow, familiar grin that seemed to hint at a secret between them. And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [“I’m so stressed that a weird Olympic-style commentary starts up in my head. And here we have Zelah Green, the fourteen-year-old champion of rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-curtis/i-m-so-stressed-that-a-weird-olympic-style-commentary-starts-up-in-my/) [Vanessa Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-curtis/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) ## More by Barry Eisler > [“But, like all indulgences that are valued not just for their product but for their process, the sento will never entirely disappear. For in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/but-like-all-indulgences-that-are-valued-not-just-for-their-product/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“She’s a bargirl. You don’t know where her loyalties lie. That one was unconvincing. No one had directed her against me—I was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/she-s-a-bargirl-you-don-t-know-where-her-loyalties-lie-that-one-was/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“In my unpleasant experience, unarmed against a knife, you’ve basically got four options. 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I wondered for a moment how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-heard-laughter-and-looked-up-some-kids-at-the-terminal-next-to-me/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I shifted my head slightly. The corners of our mouths brushed together. I felt her breath on my cheek. Then we were kissing. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-shifted-my-head-slightly-the-corners-of-our-mouths-brushed-together/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I looked at her. Why was it her question seemed suffused with double entendre? She was attractive, of course, more than attractive, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-looked-at-her-why-was-it-her-question-seemed-suffused-with-double/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I realized my knowledge of that potentially damning evidence gave Delilah a reason to want me out of the way. “Out of the way”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-realized-my-knowledge-of-that-potentially-damning-evidence-gave/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I wouldn’t want to try to take this guy out with anything less than a scoped rifle. Which is something that’s hard to confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-wouldn-t-want-to-try-to-take-this-guy-out-with-anything-less-than-a/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I picked up the earthen cup and went to take a sip. “Not like that,” Miyamoto said. “Let it cool a little. Give yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-picked-up-the-earthen-cup-and-went-to-take-a-sip-not-like-that/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“It seemed he’d recently learned the value of playing up the difficulty of accomplishing whatever he was tasked with, the better to play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-seemed-he-d-recently-learned-the-value-of-playing-up-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“Yukiko walked over, her mouth stretching into a feline grin at the sight of Murakami. Naomi followed a moment later. She was wearing another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/yukiko-walked-over-her-mouth-stretching-into-a-feline-grin-at-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [It would be awesome to be so impressive that we could sway people to our way of thinking just by declaiming our thoughts, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-would-be-awesome-to-be-so-impressive-that-we-could-sway-people-to/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) [Explore all 305 Barry Eisler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## More First time quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I’m so stressed that a weird Olympic-style commentary starts up in my head. And here we have Zelah Green, the fourteen-year-old champion of rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-curtis/i-m-so-stressed-that-a-weird-olympic-style-commentary-starts-up-in-my/) [Vanessa Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-curtis/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured, smiling a slow, familiar grin that seemed to hint at a secret between them. And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I won’t break your heart. For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/) [Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/) > [Life is like a parachute jump: you have to get it right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-like-a-parachute-jump-you-have-to-get-it-right-the-first-time/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [When my kids were in the school play for the first time, I decided I had to make the costumes from scratch and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/when-my-kids-were-in-the-school-play-for-the-first-time-i-decided-i/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/) [Mennah al refaey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mennah-al-refaey/) > [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. 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Its presence was heavy, like an old coat I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/i-met-suffering-on-a-quiet-road-just-as-the-sun-was-setting-behind-me/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) [Browse all 9,309 First time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The guy was shrewder than he looked. I realized I had given too much credence to the scrawny body and the obvious age, and had underestimated him. Watching him set up what would be our makeshift classroom, I wondered whether there would be some value to that. Getting people to underestimate you. Not letting them see what was under the hood. Preventing them from seeing it coming. I thought of the Japanese expression Nō aru taka wa, tsume o kakusu. The hawk with talent hides its talons. It had always been just that for me, an expression. 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