3. Kill with a borrowed knife

It is better to conserve your strength and not expose yourself to a strong competitor.

This stratagem may be used against you in a number of ways:-

• You may be told the "Boss" or "Corporate Headquarters" are responsible for a new policy. This may be someone hidding behind the authority of a more senior person or in effect "borrowing their knife". The UK government is sometimes accused of blaming faceless people in Europe for imposing laws on the UK although it does appear that UK civil servants do implement directives far more strictly than in other European countries.
• Sometimes a person will "supply the bullets for someone else to fire". This protects the perpetrator and allows them to monitor the effectiveness of their attack with little risk to themselves.

It is important to identify the real source of an attack or you will remain vulnerable as you use your resources in the wrong area.