Bill Russell, a back-in-the-day famous NBA basketball player, captured it well. He said, “Invisibility opens doors, creates opportunity, where none seemed to exist before. When we are unseen, we have an enormous advantage in moving in, doing things we wish or need to do, and in the process, to change the very dynamic of existing, seemingly closed, patterns.”
What led to his revelation was his intense rivalry against a 7’2″ player named Wilt Chamberlain. Bill Russell told audiences that Wilt was unstoppable and dominated the floor. He could not stop him. So in response to Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance, Bill decided to simply get in his way and try to change the trajectory of his shots by a small percentage. If he did that it usually resulted in Wilt missing a shot. Bill Russell went on to win 11 NBA championships.
So there you have it. We can quietly and positively influence those around us without screaming for attention to be seen.