"One who, prepared, awaits the unprepared will win."
- Sun Tzu Resilience is a popular term these days. It connotes the ability to withstand or bounce back from tough situations. To keep one's head, one's composure, even in the face of crisis. While resilience may be an important attribute to have, the Sun Tzu Way is ultimately not a philosophy of resilience. Rather, it is a philosophy of readiness. Readiness involves the ability not simply to withstand tough situations, but to anticipate them - and to use them essentially to determine one's response. For Sun Tzu, this quality is crucial in war. It is not enough for an army simply to bounce back from a bad situation. To keep its head when times are tough. That may keep the army in the fight, but it is not enough to secure its victory. Rather, the army, led by a wise general, must be prepared to respond in all types of situations. This is why Sun Tzu details so many different scenarios in The Art of War - from easy situations where the army has a clear advantage to vague situations where it is difficult to get a read on what's going on to seemingly dangerous situations where it seems like there is no option but to fight, even to death. It is through understanding these different possibilities and knowing how and when to respond that the army is ready to use every situation as a means to secure total victory (quan sheng). In life, the same idea is true. Being resilient is not enough for you to achieve a sense of security (an). It's not enough to able to withstand or bounce back from a bad situation. You must learn to anticipate danger or risk, to prepare for it, to know how to respond a situation so that you end up in a better place than before. It's not just about keeping your head; it's about using it to get ahead.
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Wealth is a tricky concept. On the one hand, wealth provides us with a sense of security. If we are in trouble, or if we want to retire, having wealth can help give us peace of mind. On the other hand, wealth is also the source of great insecurity. Everyone wants wealth, so everyone competes for wealth.
In other words, having wealth brings us security; building wealth, on the other hand, is the source of our main troubles in life. Given how complex and competitive building wealth is, how do we navigate it? What principles can we apply from Sun Tzu on building wealth? After studying Sun Tzu for over twenty years, I've come to realize there are seven key rules that can be applied to building wealth. These rules are
Let's look at each rule in greater detail. Rule 1: Treat wealth as a means - not an end. For Sun Tzu, wealth, in and of itself, has no inherent value. Rather, it is a means to cultivating a sense of peace and security (an). As such, how much wealth you should have depends on what it takes for you to feel at peace and secure. The less you require in order to have a sense of an, the less wealth you need to acquire. This is why understanding your purpose is key, since it provides you clarity in determining what will allow you to cultivate an in your life. Rule 2: Ensure you're protected before acting. All wealth-building endeavors involve risk. The key is making sure you are protected in both time and money in case a particular endeavor fails. For Sun Tzu, this is critical. As he tells us, "The skilled warriors of the past first focused on not allowing [the enemy] to win, waiting for the enemy to allow [them] to win." In other words, protect yourself first, then try to win. When it comes to building wealth, the principle is the same. Before taking on any endeavor for gaining money, always make sure that failure would not leave you in a worse position than you were before. Never over-invest money you don't have. Never borrow money unless you have a solid strategy for how you will be able to pay it back, regardless of whether the venture is successful or not. Rule 3: Move into unoccupied areas in which you can dominate. The secret to building wealth is controlling "grounds" (Di) - that is, fields, markets, idea-spaces, projects, departments, etc. - where you can easily dominate. For Sun Tzu, you never want to compete for a ground that is already dominated by some other competitor. As he tells us, "The skilled warrior sends soldiers, but does not send them to soldiers." In trying to build wealth, focus on areas where you can easily dominate. Look at your strengths - your skills, your personal traits, your knowledge, your resources. What can you dominate in? In which areas do you have proven skills? Once you dominate one area, you can now move onto a bigger area to dominate. The key is never to find yourself competing for a market, job position, industry, etc. that some other person has dominated first. Wealth, for Sun Tzu, is built through the gradual control of these "grounds" - not through competing for one big ground. Rule 4: Prioritize other people's resources over your own whenever possible. For Sun Tzu, acquiring or using your own resources (money, time, equipment, effort, etc.) to build or secure wealth is not as valuable as using someone else's. As he writes, "One unit of the enemy's food is worth twenty units of our food. One picul of [the enemy's] fodder is worth twenty picul of our own." Before you think about risking your own money or equipment or time to build wealth, try first asking whether there is a way for you to use someone else's. Is there a way to get something for free or at a huge discount by getting it used? Is there a connection or friend that may be able to help? Is it more cost-effective to rent equipment? Is there a way to let insurance cover a portion or all of the risk? What can I steal from the Internet or history to help me? Don't always assume you have to do it yourself. Other people's resources - if you have access to them - are also part of your wealth. Rule 5: Pay a premium for good information. For Sun Tzu, the general or ruler should always be willing to pay a premium for access to reliable intelligence. As he writes, "One refusing to pay a hundred pieces of gold and thus does not know the enemy's situation is the height of inhumanity." You must prioritize information and learning in every wealth-building endeavor. It pays to know as much as you can not only protect against the risk, but be prepared to jump on opportunities that arise. Rule 6: Prefer quick, secure, yet modest gains over long, risky, but huge gains. For Sun Tzu, the biggest calamity in war is fighting a long, drawn-out war, regardless of the potential benefits. A long, drawn-out war sucks resources, costs lives, and opens a nation up to being attacked by neighboring countries. In life, this same principle applies. What you are after is a quick victory, one that doesn’t cost you much in time, effort, or money, but that can give you decent profits. For example, if you have to choose between job #1, which pay a lot, but comes with insane work hours and huge responsibilities and lots of restrictions in terms of decision making, and job #2, which pays less than than job #1, but offers you a lot more time and space to make decisions, job #2 would be the better choice. Though it’s less money, job #2 offers greater freedom and more time. Likewise, if you have to choose between client #1, who is willing to pay a substantial amount of money, but who comes with a lot of headaches and requires a lot of attention, and client #2, who pays less than client#1, but who is very easy to manage and requires little attention, then client #2 would be the better choice. Client #2 offers more time and freedom to acquire more clients like him. Rule 7: Conceal your moves. For Sun Tzu, concealment (cang) is the heart of security. You are best protected when you are the most concealed. As you are building your wealth, it is important never reveal exactly what you are doing. Doing so will only undermine your positioning. Rather, conceal your intentions and moves. Don't share your plans. Take small steps and occupy areas that are unoccupied (see Rule 3). As you gradually start to dominate in different fields or markets or project areas, you'll start to gradually build influence, and gradually the wealth will come. In the world of strategy, we spend a lot of time focusing on what a person should do. How should they respond? How should they react? What is the game plan?
But, for Sun Tzu, equally important is knowing when not to act. Knowing when not to respond, when to stay put or shut up or hold back or even withdraw. In war, this knowledge is critical. Not all opportunities are equal. Because mobilizing an army can be very expensive and dangerous, a general must make careful calculations if he's going to send his troops out. For Sun Tzu, we should only act when we have the advantage, when the moment is right. Timing is everything. In life, the same idea is true. Success in life depends not on constantly doing, doing, doing. That is a recipe for burnout. Rather, it comes from knowing when to say yes to certain opportunities and when to say no, or when not to respond. But how do you know when not to respond or act? How do you know when to say "no"? How do you develop this knowledge? Sun Tzu offers us four situations where it's better not to respond:
These situations apply equally to the armies of Ancient China as it does to us. Let's go into each situation in greater detail. IF THERE IS NOTHING TO GAIN "If there is no advantage, do not move." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, mobilizing an army to gain an advantage requires using resources. It requires coordination, money, food, and time. It also opens up an army to dangers, such as disease or fatigue. Thus, moving an army when there is no advantage to be gained is a huge waste of resources. While this reasoning may seem like common-sense, in our culture, it is very easy to get caught up in FOMO, or "fear of missing out." How many times do we subscribe to newsletters, websites, blogs, channels that end up just taking up space in home, phone, inbox, etc.? How many times do we accept an invite to an event or webinar that ends up just being a waste of time? How many times do we click on a news article or watch a video based on a scintillating headline, only to find out that it wasn't as exciting or interesting as we hoped? Take Sun Tzu's advice to heart: if there is nothing to gain, don't act. Don't respond. Don't subscribe. Don't attend. Don't read. Don't participate. Value your time and attention. Spend them on things that align with and support your purpose and help you along the Way (Tao). Ask yourself: Will this move me forward on the path I want to be on, or will it move me away from it? If it's away from it, you need to seriously reconsider whether you should give your time and attention to it. IF THERE IS NO DANGER "If there is no danger, do not fight." - Sun Tzu War is by its nature an intense and emotional endeavor. It is easy to get defensive and pitch battle when you see an enemy force nearby. But for Sun Tzu, this only makes controlling your nerves even more critical. Battles can be expensive - not just in terms of money, but lives. One should only engage in battle if there is a real danger, a real threat, to the army. Likewise, in life, especially in times of great social and political tension, it is very easy to get caught up in arguments and fights. Someone says something we disagree with, and we feel the need to speak up and argue with them. Someone criticizes something we said, and we feel the need to defend ourselves. Someone calls into question our idea or reputation, and we immediately try to attack them. These conflicts, arguments, and debates can suck up our mental and emotional energy, not to mention our time. The issue, though, with these situations is that often times, they can easily be avoided by simply not responding. Often times, they will go away by themselves. The next time you hear someone say something you disagree with or criticize you about something, ask yourself: Is there really any danger here? Or is it just my ego that wants to respond? Oftentimes, it is just our ego feeling threatened. Don't let it take control over your decision-making! You should respond defensively only if there is something real at stake - that is, if something or someone is threatening your ability to your ability to progress forward. IF YOU FEEL ANGRY OR RESENTFUL "Anger can return to happiness. Resentment can return to contentment. [But] a destroyed nation cannot return. Those who are dead cannot come back to life." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, the one of the worst times to attack is when one is angry or resentful. This is for two reasons. First, anger and resentment tend to disconnect us from reality. Behind every feeling of anger or resentment is a feeling of disbelief - disbelief at what someone has done or is able to do. Such a disconnection in war is very dangerous, as it allows us always to be surprised by our enemies. The second reason is because anger and resentment lead us towards destructive behavior. For Sun Tzu, destruction often costs more than simply getting over a perceived attack or grievance. We risk the lives of our soldiers, and thus the security of our nation, when we act from anger or resentment. For this reason, one should never act out of anger or resentment. A ruler should never dispatch troops or a general throw soldiers into battle out of anger or resentment. In your own life, the same principle is true. How many times have we said something out of anger, only to regret it later? How many times have we broken someone's trust or confidence in us by responding this way? How many times have we disappointed, scared, or hurt someone we loved because we responded from anger or resentment? Never act from anger or resentment, even if there is something to gain (for example, someone complies with what you want). In most cases, you'll end up cancelling out whatever gains you make. Doing this often just builds anger or resentment in the other person - not true cooperation. Instead, ask yourself: What will I gain from acting out of anger or resentment? What could I lose from doing so? In almost all cases, it's not worth the cost, and in most cases, it won't really get you anywhere. IF BY RESPONDING THERE WILL BE GREATER DANGER "If I know the troops can attack, but do not know the enemy cannot attack, my victory is half. If I know the enemy can be attacked, but do not know the troops cannot attack, my victory is half. If I know the enemy can be attacked, and know the troops can attack, but do not know the ground in battle, my victory is half." - Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, total victory (quan sheng), the ultimate goal of the general in war, is achieved through having complete knowledge or understanding of the situation. Knowing only whether you can attack, or if the enemy can attack, or if the ground is favorable, and not knowing all the others, puts your army at greater risk. Thus, for Sun Tzu, it is important to have a complete picture of the situation before committing troops to battle. Of course, this doesn't mean that the general will not act at all. Rather, he may try all sorts of things to get a better read on the situation. He may send a small skirmish to test the enemy. He may send spies to report back. He may try to build alliances with neighboring rulers. But when it comes to sending his soldiers into battle, it is only when the general has a complete understanding that he can confidently put his troops in danger. In your own life, this principle is the same. We are taught to act, act, act. To try our best, even if we fail. To be persistent and fight like hell and get back up if we are knocked down. But oftentimes, we can overextend ourselves. We get excited about some opportunity that turns out to be a wash. We are told by friends or experts to invest in some new scheme and end up losing our money. We burn ourselves out trying to make a certain career path or relationship work. While uncertainty and risk are natural parts of any endeavor in life, our role is not simply to accept them. Our role is to gain a complete understanding of our situation. We do not compete for half-victories. Of course, this doesn't mean that we simply do nothing. We can always do more to improve our situation. We can always learn more skills, gain more knowledge, acquire more resources or connections. But we should never compete for half-victories. So whenever an opportunity arises on your path, ask yourself: Do I have a clear understanding of how successful or helpful this opportunity would be? Is this something I can honestly say will benefit me, whether or not it ends up successful? If answer no to either question, you should definitely reassess. ~ All four of these situations have one thing in common: they are all distractions. Keeping to the Way (Tao) means being able to tell the difference between what will help you on the path or distract you from the path. So heed the advice: If there is nothing to gain, if there is no danger, if you are simply angry or resentful, or if it presents a greater cost or risk to you if it's not successful - then stop. Wait and assess. It's most likely not worth it. "A skilled military operation cultivates the Tao, yet preserves the Methods. Thus, one can become master of victory and defeat."
- Sun Tzu A popular notion in self-help and positive psychology is the concept that our feelings about the world is determined by our perspective - that is, how we judge it. This is a concept best expressed by Shakespeare in Hamlet when the titular character tells us: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." That is to say, if we think, or judge, an event to be bad, then we will feed bad (angry, anxious, etc.) about it. Thus, we are told, if we want to feel better about a situation, then we need to shift our perspective and view it differently. Cognitive behavioral psychologists call this technique "reframing." It involves taking a step back or away from the situation so that we can view it more objectively or positively. The more objectively or positively we view a situation, then the more objectively or positively we will feel, and thus respond, to the situation. So how does reframing work? Like trying on new glasses, you try different perspectives to help you view the situation differently. For example, if someone cuts you off on the highway, rather than getting upset, you can frame the situation differently saying: "Maybe this driver is an urgent situation or didn't see me." Or if you miss your bus, rather than get upset or anxious, you can frame the situation differently by saying: "Oh well, now I can get more reading done as I wait for the next bus to come." Or if you find out your star-colleague just quit her job, rather than panic for the work you might have to fill in for, you can frame it differently and say, "This gives me an opportunity to step up and improve my skills." On the surface, reframing makes sense. And indeed, it is a very effective tool for helping us feel and respond differently to situations that befall us. The problem with reframing, though, is that it doesn't address the real reason why we need to use the technique in the first place - the fact that we become rattled, angry, worried, etc. to the event in the first place. Why would we get upset when a driver cuts us off? Why would we panic if we miss our bus or a colleague leaves? The reason why we get emotional in these situations is not because of our thoughts, but because these emotions are natural responses to situations in which we feel a lack of control. As human beings, we have an inherent need to feel a sense of control over our situation - ourselves, our relationships, our future. This need is tied to our sense of calmness and well-being. When we feel in control of a situation, we feel calm and confident. When we don't, we feel emotional, anxious, upset. As bestselling author Robert Greene writes in The 48 Laws of Power, “The feeling of having no power over people and events is generally unbearable to us – when we feel helpless, we feel miserable.” No amount of reframing is going to get rid of this need. And no amount of objectivity or positive thinking is going to overcome it. These things may help us feel better about the situation and view it more calmly or positively, but unless we acknowledge and address this underlying need, we will always be at struggle with ourselves to maintain this positive or calm attitude. So how then do we approach situations that rattle us and gain real calm and composure? Or is the situation hopeless? As you can imagine, Sun Tzu provides a way. For Sun Tzu, the role of the general is to ensure the nation's security (an). He does this first by examining the Way (Tao). For Sun Tzu, this means understanding the purpose by which the ruler commands and unifies the people. If the purpose is clear and strong, then the Way forward is clear. Any events that occur - whether fortunate or not - will be reflected clearly in light of the Way. Next, he gathers as much information and intelligence as he can - about the ground, about the weather, about the enemy, about his own army and nation. Lastly, he takes this information and analyzes it, asking questions: What are we trying to do or achieve? What are all the obstacles we face? Where is the enemy strong or weak? Where are we strong or weak? Based on his answers to these questions, he develops a response to whatever situation is in front of him. This whole process is predicated on understanding the Way - that is, understanding how the ruler seeks to lead the people and whether this leadership is strong and clear. Without the Way, the whole analysis becomes useless. Likewise, this is the approach we need to take in our own lives. When an event occurs, we need to ask ourselves not simply "How can I view this differently?", but rather: "What does this mean in terms of my purpose?" How does it affect my path forward? Then we can better understand our own feelings and determine a response. If your sense of purpose is clear, then the meaning or impact of the event will be clearer to you. It won't easily shake you, because you'll have greater certainty of where you are on the path. As a result, you won't need to "reframe" your thinking after the event occurs, because your sense of purpose becomes your primary frame, your Way. It is the perspective by which you view life. If your sense of purpose is not clear, then it is important to go back to step one and ask: What is my purpose? What am I trying to ultimately do or achieve in life, and why? While reframing may help you in the moment to deal with a difficult situation, no amount of reframing is going to give you the answer to this question. And it is only by cultivating a deep sense of purpose that you'll be able to find real calm or peace. |
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