Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Petyr Baelish avoids this corruption by avoiding the source of power, but staying close enough to bath in its benefits. 'You can identify the most powerful man in the room easily, but the smartest? You have to look to the source of the power for that. The powerful man may speak the most, but who does he look at the most? This look is important, it is a pursuit of validation. This look will be directed towards the smartest man in the room. The snake in the grass.' Petyr Baelish is that man. This is why he succeeds to the degree he does.
