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:

1. If there is nothing to gain.
2. If there is no danger.
3. If you feel angry or spiteful.
4. If, by responding, there will be greater danger.

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.

"On difficult ground, keep going."
- Sun Tzu

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu places a lot of value on always being ready to face or deal with the enemy. Indeed, this emphasis on readiness is so important for Sun Tzu that I consider it one of the core values of the Sun Tzu Way (TSTW). Sun Tzu tells us explicitly, "One who, prepared, awaits the unprepared wins." In other words, readiness is a key factor for achieving victory.

This sounds nice, you may be thinking, but what about emergency situations? What about really difficult situations that catch us off-guard? How would you use​ TSTW to deal with people or events you didn't or couldn't plan for?

In truth, while Sun Tzu does stress the importance of planning and foreknowledge, he also embraces the fact that the unexpected is a feature of every battle. Wars are inherently chaotic. No general, no matter how skilled, can calculate or plan for everything.

Nor does Sun Tzu expect him to. Indeed, readiness is not about predicting what's going to happen. Rather, it's about how well you are able to respond to the ever-changing situation before you. Master your response, and you control the situation.

As such, there are four rules that I have drawn from reading The Art of War to help me in dealing with difficult, unexpected situations. They are

1. Let the river water settle.
2. Find the high ground.
3. Move quickly through the marshes.
4. Use the ground for assistance.

Let's go through each in greater detail.

LET THE RIVER WATER SETTLE
"When it rains and the river water rises, one who wishes to cross must wait for it to settle."
- Sun Tzu

The first rule in dealing with a difficult situation is to let the river water settle - that is, to wait for things to calm before taking action. Sun Tzu, of course, is speaking here of a physical river that an army is looking to cross, but we can use the imagery as a metaphor for our own lives.

The pouring rain refers to a quick and sudden change that makes difficult what we are trying to do. We are trying to cross a particular river - i.e. get a promotion, land a client, get a date with someone we like. But then something happens that complicates this or slows down the opportunity: a recession hits, another person is competing for the same client, the person we wanted to date is still talking with their ex.

Sun Tzu's advice for us is simple: stop trying to cross that river and just wait for it to settle. There are two aspects to this rule. The first echoes another rule that Sun Tzu tells, "Move if there is advantage, stop if there is not." There is nothing to gain by trying to continue on the path. Rather, you have to wait until you can reassess your situation. 

Perhaps the promotion is no longer available, but once things have settled, you'll be in a much better position to understand what opportunities are available. Perhaps the client will not go with your competition, but once things have settled, you'll be in a much better position to understand their wants and needs. Perhaps the person you want to date will not go back to her ex, but once things have settled, you'll have a better idea of where her head is at.

Things will not always end up the way you want. The river you're trying to cross may not be the right river, especially after a storm. Continuing while things are crazy, though, will not make that any clearer to you. Wait for things to settle to determine if you really want to cross.

The second aspect is to let the river water in your mind settle. When an event occurs that disturbs our plans, our minds can often get rattled. Waiting for the rainwater to settle also means letting your mind process what has happened. This is the time to take a step back and assess your emotional state. Ask yourself: How does this make me feel? Am I upset? Am I frustrated? Am I hurt?

Embedded in this rule is the understanding that the river water will settle. As Sun Tzu tells us, "Anger can return to happiness. Resentment can return to contentment." Things may be hard, frustrating, and surprising now - but give it time, and it will settle.

Then you can make your move.

FIND THE HIGH GROUND
​"In general, the winning army prefers the high ground and hates the low, values the sunny side and despises the dark."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, the reason why the winning army prefers the high, sunny ground over the low, dark ground is because both height and light provide maximum visibility of your situation. Light allows you to see your situation, height allows you to see far and wide.

The same idea applies to your life. It is easy to get caught up in bad news. Someone is spreading a rumor about you at work, someone gives a bad review of your business on the internet, a high-paying client decides to leave you, your significant other is questioning your future together.

It's easy to respond with hurt, frustration, defensiveness. However, to effectively deal with your situation, you must try to see it from a clear and elevated perspective. This involves viewing your situation from two perspectives - from the perspective of purpose (yi) and from the perspective of compassion (ren).

A question I try to ask myself in these types of situation is: How can I respond in a way that both allows me to move forward in my purpose and shows respect and dignity to myself and the people I'm dealing with?

Perhaps this means confronting your gossiper in a calm and humane way. Perhaps it means responding to the poor review by apologizing and agreeing to certain concessions. Perhaps it means genuinely asking the high-paying client what you could have done differently to retain his patronage. Perhaps it means asking your significant other what future she wants and being honest about what you want in your future.

The idea is not that you will get what you want - a colleague, customer, client, partner who loves you and will always support you. The idea is simply to position yourself so that you are better than before, that you have more understanding than before, and you know how to navigate towards your goals better.

This requires keeping a clear head about where you currently are and where you want to be.

MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH THE MARSHES
"To leave salt marshes, just hurry through - do not stay."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, a marsh is a dangerous ground for an army to travel on. A marsh slows down movement and its insects can spread disease. As such, Sun Tzu's advice is to move quickly through marshes and stay far away from them.

In life, the same advice is true. Often times we get ourselves in metaphorical marshes -  sticky or competitive situations where we find ourselves trying to fight through them. We find ourselves in a big argument with someone, or in a long battle with a company's customer service department, or in a pissing competition with a colleague over implementing a new program.

What tends to happen in these situations is that we get bogged down by endless responses, what author Robert Greene calls "tactical hell." This person responds this way, we react and respond another way, and so on. In the end, we find ourselves spending so much time arguing or fighting without anything substantial to show for it.

Sun Tzu's advice is just as applicable for us as it was for the armies of his time: do not get bogged down by these situations. Act quickly to resolve them. Don't get drawn into an argument, and if you do, try to your involvement quickly. Don't get drawn into finding a solution through bureaucratic systems - try to find a quicker way elsewhere to get what you need, or, if possible, let go of trying to find a solution. If you find yourself competing with a colleague, then you've likely already lost. Cede victory and try to find another opportunity where you won't have competition.

Avoid petty battles or battles of ego. These will only suck up your time. Resolve conflicts as quickly as possible so you can get past them.

USE THE GROUND FOR ASSISTANCE
"This is the army's advantage - the assistance of the ground."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, a winning army establishes readiness not by having the best supplies or equipment, but by understanding how to use the ground and its resources to its advantage. In difficult situations, it relies on what is available to it, not on resources it wished it had.

This is the same mindset you must adapt. Using the ground for assistance means using what is available to you to resolve the problems you face. Often in the face of difficult situations, we tend to focus on what we don't have - money, time, energy, know-how. Rarely do we take a break and think about what we do have available to us - patience, understanding, friends, the Internet, etc.

You must strive to be resourceful. Ask yourself: what resources or advantages do I have available to me? How could I use them to help deal with my problem?

You may not have the resources to completely solve your problem, but you can always make your situation better. And often times that is enough to get you through whatever difficulty you are facing.
~
In short, following these four rules will not necessarily give you the exact result that you were hoping for. You may not be able to get that promotion, client, job, date, relationship. But these rules will guide you in understanding how to reframe and benefit from your situation so that you can ultimately be in a better position than before.

And for Sun Tzu, knowing how to do that is the key to making yourself ready for anything that comes your way.

A core principle is an essential condition that leads to a certain result. It can be used to guide or inform one's decisions and actions.

Having studied The Art of War for over twenty years, I have found that there are three critical principles that serve as the foundation for the Sun Tzu Way. These principles are the same that guide and protect the skilled warriors of the past in achieving total victory (quan sheng), and that can guide you in your own endeavors.

These principles are

1. Cohesion (hé). Communicate a clear direction (Tao) forward. Ensure everything you do supports and aligns with it.
2. Concealment (cáng). Keep your situation - your intentions, abilities, opportunities, and weaknesses - hidden.
3. Control (zhì). Use what you have available to you to build the momentum and influence you need to become master of your situation.

These three principles, though presented separately, are actually inseparable, working with and reinforcing each other.

Let's look at each in depth.

COHESION
"One whose upper and lower ranks share the same sense of purpose will win."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, the winning army is one that has a strong sense of unity, acting with one mind, regardless of status or rank. Each member of the army, from the general all the way down to the lowest-ranking soldier, must share a common understanding of what they are trying to do or achieve and why.

For Sun Tzu, war is inherently chaotic and dangerous. Without a strong sense of purpose that binds everyone together, there will be no unified force to resist an invading enemy and ultimately keep the nation. Thus, an army that is united in purpose and whose activities are coordinated to serve this purpose is the first condition for achieving continual success. This fact is what I call the principle of cohesion (hé).

In life, the concept of the same. As humans, we all struggle with acting with one mind. We all have dreams, but are too lazy or scared or disappointed to pursue them. We all want to improve our health or relationships or finances, but feel - either due to our habits or past trauma or upbringing or intimidation - that we are incapable of really changing ourselves or our situation. In other words, we are divided within ourselves.

True change can only occur by overcoming this division and uniting the different parts of ourselves under a singular purpose so that they can cohere and work together.

Applying the principle of cohesion to your own life requires cultivating a clear sense of purpose (yi) - a clear understanding of what you are ultimately trying to do or achieve in life and why. With this understanding, you can then look at the different aspects of your life. You can ask yourself: What is serving my purpose? What aligns with it? What is holding me back from acting with one mind?

Of course, cohesion is just the first step. But it is the most important one since without it, success is impossible.

CONCEALMENT
"Those skilled in defense conceal themselves in the nine grounds below."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, the best victory comes from the army occupying a strongly guarded position from which it can strike, and subsequently defeat, an enemy who is unaware or unprepared. As he writes, "the skilled warrior stands on undefeated ground, and does not miss the enemy's defeat."

Achieving this kind of victory requires hiding (cáng) one's positioning from the enemy. As such the principle of concealment is a critical principle in The Art of War.

The skillful general knows how to prevent his enemies from having an accurate or clear understanding of his army's situation and abilities. If the army is far from the enemy, he tries to make his army look near. If the army is big, he tries to make his army look small. He obsesses over covering over his army's situation, spreading misinformation to the enemy and always looking out for the enemy's spies.

Doing this allows the army to occupy positions without the enemy being aware, thereby allowing the army to be both protected and ready to attack an unsuspecting enemy. Thus, the principle of concealment is critical in allowing the general set up his army for victory.

In your own life, you may think you do not need to use concealment or deception to achieve success. You are not an army in Ancient China. Truth is, the principle of concealment is as necessary for you as it is a general in Sun Tzu's time.

The world is marked by competition. And not just competition in terms of jobs or business or funding - but in terms of attention. Everything and everyone - from the shows we watch to our friends to our kids to our spouse to videos to books to colleagues, and so on - is competing for our attention, our focus, our affection, our acceptance, our interest.

This has two important consequences for us. First, if we reveal our goals or intentions to do something, someone or something will provide resistance. This is because our intention to do something means we are putting our focus, our attention towards it. And because the people and media around us is constantly clamoring for that very focus, it will try to divert it. Friends, family, partners, or media may tell us that we shouldn't go that route; it's too risky. Or that we should go a different route - to do what other successful people have done.

The biggest point of resistance will likely be ourselves. Our tendencies towards self-doubt or laziness will creep in. At first we may be excited, and then as time goes on, when things get hard or boring, we'll fall off.

The second consequence is that in trying to influence others and achieve big things, we too must compete. And in a world of where so many things are competing for their time and attention, people are resistant to give you attention or focus, especially if they know what you are up to.

Thus, the principle of concealment has two benefits. First, it protects you from the opposition you may receive from others or even yourself in trying to achieve something. Second, it helps avoid the resistance you may get from trying to engage with and influence someone else.

In implementing the principle of concealment in your life, use the following rules to help guide you:

1. Resist the urge to reveal your goals or intentions. Want to change careers? Want to start exercising? Want to start a business or blog? Resist the urge tell any and everyone. People will just divert or distract you with their opinions. Just start and try to get some momentum going. Do your research on the career, do a few minutes of exercise a day, try to get your first client, create a website and publish some posts. See for yourself what it would be like.
2. Resist the urge to persuade or sell. The moment people think you are trying to convince or persuade them to believe or do something, they will get resistant. A wall will go up that will be very difficult to bring down. Never signal you are trying to change someone's mind. The only thing you can do is provide an open and engaging space where people can change their own minds. Start a conversation, listen to people's concerns, understand what they ultimately want, give them different options, and let them decide what to do next.
3. Learn to communicate through actions and results, not words. Which do you think is more effective at making your partner feel loved and appreciated - telling your partner how much you love and appreciate them, or getting them a special gift, sitting down and listening to them as they tell you about their day, complimenting them? Or which do you think is more effective at showing people you are serious about exercising - telling people that you are going to start working out, or showing people how much weight you've lost or the muscles you've developed? Actions and results are infinitely more effective than words, since they communicate facts, not good intentions or opinions.
4. Strive to make appear natural that which takes effort. The essence of concealment is making that which actually took planning and effort look as if it were simple and natural. Everything you say and do should appear as if it comes from your own natural talents and personality, and not from calculated preparation. People are fooled by appearances because they want to be. Having to question everyone's intentions is too big of a burden on people's consciousness. Thus, you have to be skilled at knowing the right actions to take to give the impression that you are naturally someone who takes those actions. Understand who you wish to be and then do what someone like that would do.

CONTROL
"Therefore, the winning army is like using yi to weigh against zhu. A defeated army is like using zhu to weigh against yi."
- Sun Tzu

In this quote, the terms yi and zhu here refer to measurements of weight. Yi outweighs zhu probably by a factor of hundred or so. For Sun Tzu, a winning army is not simply one that defeats its enemy, but one that has attained an overwhelming number of advantages over the enemy. As such, its victory is secure.

Securing victory is not a matter of having the strongest or sharpest or bravest soldiers. Rather, securing victory is a matter of controlling (zhì) the ground. This is known as the principle of control.

For Sun Tzu, the ground is not simply a physical place, but the army's situation in relation to the enemy. It is the context of the engagement and the set of options available to each.

The army who has control over the ground thereby controls the advantages and options that the ground offers. Thus, for Sun Tzu, the winning army is constantly maneuvering itself into a position of control (zhì quán) before it engages the enemy. The skillful general never focuses on how to destroy or defeat the enemy in battle. Rather, he always has his mind on how to establish a position of control on the battlefield so that the army's victory is not in danger.

As such, he is always calculating the advantages and disadvantages of every move. He mobilizes his troops only when there is an advantage and fights only if there is danger. And he strikes only when and where the enemy is unprepared. He avoids direct confrontation when he can and keeps his army mainly in wait until an opportunity to attack or move presents itself.

In moving only to gain advantages and fighting only when necessary, he slowly builds up a position of control that allows him to secure his victory over the enemy.

In your own life, this same principle holds true. Success in life depends on your ability to increase your sense of control over your situation. What you must strive for is not achieving a benchmark or big achievement, but to secure a position of control within your environment. This ultimately is what will allow you to feel a sense of an - peace, calmness, security - in your life.

In utilizing the principle of control in your own life, use the following rules to guide you:

1. Start with yourself. Controlling your situation means first controlling yourself. Self-control means the ability to be patient and to stop and think about your options before taking action. Before reacting to some event - someone cuts you off, your boss passes you up for a promotion, your kids disobey an order you gave, your spouse complains about something you've done - just take a deep breath. Think about what would happen if you act in the way you want, as opposed to not acting. Consider your options. The greater you're able to control yourself, the better your ability to control the situation. 
2. Avoid ego conflicts. Most events that seem like conflicts - someone cutting you off, your boss passing you up for promotion, your spouse criticizing you, etc. - are really just jabs at our ego. It is very easy to feel attacked in these circumstances. But really the problem is that we are taking these events personally because these things make us feel undervalued. The best way of dealing with ego conflicts is not to take them personally. Someone cuts you off? Let it go. As long as you were not in danger, there is no need to hold on to it. Your boss passed you up for a promotion? Take it as an opportunity to think about your next step - whether it's building your skills, looking for another job, and establishing a stronger relationship with your boss. Your spouse is complaining about something you did or forgot to do? Listen to them! Determine if they may have a point and how to resolve the conflict. Whatever you decide to do, do not take an ego conflict as opportunity to argue or fight. It is not. Rather, it is always an opportunity to learn how someone views you or their relationship with you. View it as valuable information, not an attack.
3. Sharpen your tools. If you understand your purpose (see Cohesion), then you can understand the knowledge, skills, and capabilities you need to achieve it. Sharpen these tools. Build your knowledge, develop your skills, grow your capabilities. If you want to be a good parent, keep reading up and utilizing parenting techniques.  If you want to be a good partner, keep watching those videos on marriage advice. 
4. Find the way forward. Every situation provides you with options. Many of these situations will not provide you with the options you hoped for. Your goal, regardless, is not to get the option you wished for, but to choose the option that allows you to move your purpose forward. With example of your boss passing you up for promotion, you may have a few options available. Perhaps you can have an honest conversation with your boss about why you were passed up and what you can do to prove your worth. Or maybe you can see if there are other opportunities within your company that you can try to capitalize on. Or maybe you can reassess whether moving up in the company you are in is really what you want to do. The best option is the one that aligns with your overall goals. What are you trying to do or achieve, and why? Go with the option that best supports this.
5. Use and build off what is available to you. Just like every situation has options, every situation allows you to use resources, advantages, or opportunities that are available to you. These resources, advantages, and opportunities will not be what you hoped for, but regardless, you must use what you have to move forward and build off it. For example, you may not have the budget you wanted for a project at work, but perhaps you have a team of people with diverse skills to help you. You may not have gotten the promotion you wanted, but perhaps you were able to impress your manager's boss with your achievements over the past year - this may be an important relationship to cultivate. Always look for any upside in your situation and capitalize on it.

~
These three principles make up the foundation of the Sun Tzu Way. It is by following them consistently, committing yourself to them, that you will secure success in your life and cultivate a deep sense of an, or peace, in your life.

In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of always being responsive to one's environment and others in this environment. For Sun Tzu, this is crucial because one's strategy in war highly depends on these two factors - the environment and one's enemy.

In saying this, though, it's important to understand exactly what this "responsiveness" entails. It can easily be construed as worry or waiting in hope for things to go your way. The Sun Tzu Way, at its core, is a philosophy of realism - of making decisions based on reality, on what's realistically or actually possible. It's not based on idealism - on what you think "should" be.

This is why I articulate the rule, "Be in-tune, not indifferent. Be attentive, not attached." It helps to place responsiveness between two extremes of behavior, both of which do not allow you to understand your reality.

"Be in-tune, not indifferent."
Being in-tune comes from the understanding that life often moves in cycles. These cycles encompass what Sun Tzu calls Heaven (Tian) - the cycles of life and death, of cold and hot, of day and night, of seasonal storms (thunderstorms, hurricanes, blizzards, etc.). None of these cycles are within an army's control. And yet they can greatly affect one's situation and chances for success.

The general must be in-tune with these cycles. He must pay attention to them, anticipate them, and use his knowledge and experience of them to help formulate his overall strategy. It would be disastrous not only for his army, but for the nation's security, to ignore or be indifferent to these cycles in his planning.

In life, we too also deal with cycles. Not just the physical cycles of Mother Nature, but also the cycles of human nature: generational cycles, economic cycles, political cycles, financial cycles, cultural cycles. We also have internal cycles - cycles that govern our changes in our mood, our attitude, our emotions, and our energy levels.

These cycles have a huge effect on our ability to achieve calm and security and serenity in our lives. Thus, we must become in-tune with them - attentive to them, able to anticipate their changes, and willing to use our knowledge and experience of them in our decision-making.

For example, understanding your spouse's emotional cycle helps in formulating a strategy for how you address an issue with them or communicate an idea. Understanding the business cycle of the company you work for helps in formulating a strategy for when you ask for a raise or promotion.

If we ignore them or try to be indifferent to these things, we risk inviting undue stress, frustration, and disappointment. But even more, if we are indifferent, it makes developing a realistic strategy - one with a strong probability of success - much harder and more costly than it would have been otherwise.

"Be attentive, not attached."
One potential danger of being so in-tune with things outside of our control us that we can start to rely on our expectations of these changes in cycle. Like economists who are constantly crying about a recession coming, it is very easy to "predict" that something bad (or good) is going to happen - all we need to do is wait.

But life does not operate this way. The problem with things not being in our control is that we cannot fully predict when or how changes will occur. Life is, ultimately, governed by chaos. We may be able to predict that a hurricane will probably occur next year, but we cannot say exactly when. We may be able to say that a recession will come, but we cannot predict exactly how or when or why.

This is why, for Sun Tzu, the general must constantly be attentive to his environment. He must constantly be observing changes in his environment and asking questions about its meaning. He looks at how the enemy reacts to different situations or how the trees or animals move. He even pays attention to what isn't happening. For example, if birds gather and do not take flight, then that indicates the enemy is not present. If the enemy has the opportunity to attack, but doesn't take it, this may indicate the enemy's soldiers are tired.

What's equally important is that the skilled general is not attached to any of these things. It would be disastrous for a general to be attached to his interpretation of a situation, as situations can be deceiving. The enemy could be trying to fool you, or the weather may change without a moment's notice.

Rather the general is led by his questions. He is always continually investigating. He always keeps himself protected before taking action and moves cautiously, ready to adapt or withdraw if the situation seems suspicious. He only takes action if there is a clear advantage. 

This is the attitude that we should take in life - to be attentive, not attached. Being attached to our opinions or beliefs divorces us from reality. Oftentimes we tell ourselves a story when things occur. A colleague hesitates to give their opinion on an idea we have, and we assume that they don't like it. A friend fails to respond to our text and we think they must be upset with us. Or the opposite: colleagues praise our idea, and we think we're brilliant. A new friend showers us with praise or tells us we are their best friend.

The problem with believing these things is that the reality can be deceptive. People rarely tell us exactly how they feel (indeed, they may not even know themselves how they feel). Enthusiasm can be faked (and often is). And un-enthusiasm doesn't necessarily mean dislike - sometimes people need to process and think through ideas or changes. 

Instead, we must pay attention and observe changes in our environment, question and investigate its meaning, and keep an open, but cautious stance. Instead of deciding that someone is upset with us or likes our idea, we have to ask questions: "Is it possible they had a bad day or are upset about something else?" Or "Maybe they are just being polite - I'll have to see if they really like my idea."

In short, we must be open to being wrong about our assumptions, always willing to change our position given new evidence. This is how we maintain a responsive stance to life, and is what allows us to maintain a sense of calm and peace.

"I, by means of these questions, know who will win or lose."
- Sun Tzu

For Sun Tzu, achieving success in war starts with asking questions and analyzing your situation. By asking the right questions and finding the right answers through investigation, you can develop a complete understanding of your situation and decide the right course of action.

From this, the following are four simple questions, inspired by The Art of War, that I ask myself regularly whenever I am trying to achieve success in something - whether it's a project, a goal, or a long-term aspiration.

Here are the questions:

1. What are you trying to do or achieve, and why? This question helps you clarify your purpose. Sit with this one for awhile. Don't move forward unless your answer feels right to you.
2. What dangers or risks do you face? List as many dangers and risks as you possibly can. For Sun Tzu, understanding and preparing for the dangers or obstacles you may face makes you stronger and more prepared.
3. What capabilities - skills, knowledge, resources, contacts - do you need to avoid or overcome these dangers or risks and move forward? Success, for Sun Tzu, doesn't come from luck. It comes from having the skills and knowledge you need to recognize and take advantage of opportunities.
4. What little things I can either do or stop doing right now to make progress? Progress is often achieved little by little, day by day. One more contact to add to your network counts. One less unhealthy food to eat today counts. One more positive conversation with your boss counts. One less mess in your house or office counts. Don't underestimate the power of slow progress. Of course, if you can do more and get more and you can do so quickly, by all means, you should do so. But if you are having a hard time starting, don't start big. Start small. Very small. And keep doing small things.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of these questions. Ask yourself these questions often and you'll start to see improvement.

"Just as water follows the ground, which determines its flow, the army responds to the enemy, who determines its victory."
- Sun Tzu

One of the most powerful, yet confusing aspects of Sun Tzu's philosophy is his prescription to take up a "formless position" when facing the enemy. It reminds one of the Zen notion of "becoming like water" and "emptying one's mind."

But the advice to be "formless" is not simply philosophical or mystical - it is meant to be practical advice for how to engage an opponent. For Sun Tzu, one's strategy for dealing with an enemy depends heavily on the enemy - on avoiding where the enemy is strong and attacking where he is weak.

Thus, being formless, for Sun Tzu, is essentially about not coming into battle with a game plan or a pre-defined strategy. It involves watching and listening to the opponent, seeing where the enemy's force is weakest or is unprepared, and then uniting one's force against those critical points.

In other words, being formless is about being responsive to the enemy - following his changes, adapting to his movements, and determining the appropriate response to his situation.

In life, the principle is just as powerful and critical to your success. Too often we are given the advice about "focusing on what you can control, not what you can't." For Sun Tzu, only the first half of that is true: we should definitely understand what we can and do control - the resources, skills, and capabilities we are able to use to push ourselves forward.

But we should never simply "ignore" or be "indifferent" to what goes on outside of our control. Our fate is tied to the system in which we live. It affects our lives, our sense of control.

Rather, we should always be responsive to things outside our control. Of course, not attached to them. Not hoping or expecting things were different (a surefire way to make yourself miserable). But we should be observant, attentive, and ready to act when the time is right.

So, for example, you may not be able to control your partner's response to bad news you need to give him, but paying attention to his moods and perspective would go a long way into determining when's the best time to give him the news as well as how to deliver it.

You may not be able to control whether the stock market is up or down, but understanding the factors that cause it to go up and down and following these factors would be helpful in determining when to buy a certain stock. As famed investor Warren Buffett tells us, the secret to investing is to "be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful." When people are fearful, that is, when they are selling - that's when we should be buying.

You may not be able to control whether that hiring manager hires you for the job. But understanding the newest move his competitor has just done to undermine the company's position would be very useful in determining what you say in that interview.  

No decision or response you make can ever guarantee a certain outcome. But neither should that be the goal. By continually being responsive to the changing moods, cycles, and situations of the people and environment around you, you are strengthening your ability to increase your effectiveness, adapt to change, and ultimately come out on top.

We've talked before about the importance of purpose as a fundamental principle of the Sun Tzu Way. Purpose - or what Sun Tzu calls Tao, or the Way - is about understanding and articulating your aspirations, values, and priorities - what you want to achieve and why. It sets the path (or Way) forward, and is essential in developing unity and focus.

But in truth, purpose is not a singular concept. According to Gary Gagliardi, a well-known translator of The Art of War and commenter on Sun Tzu's work as it relates to business, there are actually three levels to purpose.

The first, and lowest, level is economic. This is the level of getting the resources needed to survive and maintain a relative state of stability and comfort in one's life.

The second level is professional. This is the level of developing our unique skills and talents, building pride and confidence in ourselves, and gaining recognition, credibility, and success. The idea is to understand and prove what we are capable.

The last level is spiritual. This is the level of improving, impacting, or transforming our lives and the lives of those we care about. This level is the strongest level because it extends beyond yourself. It demonstrates compassion (ren) - your ability to see other people's struggles and your desire to make the world a better place.

In general, the higher your clearest level of purpose is, the more meaningful that purpose is -that is to say, the more enlightening and thus guiding that purpose is. Thus, your professional purpose, if clear, will naturally enlighten and guide your economic purpose, and your spiritual purpose is more meaningful than professional purpose.

All of us operate on the three levels of purpose. The problem is that most people are only clear about level one (economic) or two (professional). Most of us understand that in order to survive and live a decent life, we need to have a consistent job that pays the bills. This is economic purpose.

Some of us who are lucky also understand that having a job that we enjoy and feel pride in involves choosing a career that engages and supports our unique skills, talents, and interests. This is professional purpose.

But it is a rare few of us who have a clear understanding for what change we want to have on others. For how we want to transform a field or industry. For how we want to impact the world. It is this last level that gives us genuine fulfillment in life.

In your own life, think about these three levels. Ask yourself in this order:

1. What is my spiritual purpose? What am I meant to change or improve in the world?
2. Given my spiritual purpose, what is my professional purpose? What skills and capabilities do I need to hone or develop? What career path shall I take and what's required to get on it?
   
3. Given my professional purpose, what is my economic purpose? What quality of life do I want to have for myself? What choices will I need to make to support the career path I need to take?
   

Keep in mind, you may have more than one spiritual purpose, and thus, more than one professional purpose, and more than one economic purpose. For example, your spiritual purposes may be to change the medical industry and be loving partner and caring parent. All three of these require different skill sets (and different education), and may require different economic needs.

The goal, though, is to be clear on these spiritual purposes. It is through clarity on each level that the Way becomes apparent.

 "Therefore, advancing not to seek glory, withdrawing not to avoid shame - but only to protect the people and benefit the ruler - [such a general] is the nation's treasure."
- Sun Tzu

For many people reading The Art of War, they believe that the text is about how to defeat an enemy with deception and trickery - that is, how to play "dirty." For Sun Tzu, however, the cost of warfare - not in simply in terms of money, but in terms of valuable lives of soldiers and citizens - is too high not to use whatever means one can to avoid battle and overcome conflict. As Sun Tzu tells us later, "A destroyed nation cannot return. Those who are dead cannot come back to life."

This is why Sun Tzu believes that only virtuous leaders can effectively use what some may consider "dirty" tactics - deception and espionage - in order to achieve victory. Without a strong sense of purpose (Tao) from the ruler and a strong general (Jiang) whose sole objective is to make sure the nation is protected and secure, the army and the nation will be in grave danger.

In your life, the same principle is true. Your ability to lead yourself is key to maintaining a sense of confidence, peace, security, and happiness - what Sun Tzu calls an. But in order to do this effectively, you need to cultivate key traits, or virtues, that will allow you to make the right decisions at the right time with confidence.

For Sun Tzu, a strong effective leader exhibits five key traits:

1. Wisdom
2. Credibility
3. Compassion
4. Discipline
5. Courage

These five traits are critical. For Sun Tzu, any deficiency in even one of them can lead to disaster. In your own life, this is also the case. Try to advance in life without cultivating these virtues, and you'll find yourself having a difficult life.

Let's take a look at each virtue below, including practices for how you can cultivate each virtue in your own life. (These are practices that I try to incorporate into my own life.)

Wisdom
For Sun Tzu, wisdom (zhi) is essential for making strategic decisions. It involves the ability to know not only what action to take, but when to take action.

In your own life, there are a few ways to cultivate wisdom:

1. Learning from experience. This means analyzing your own experiences as well as the experiences of others. Whenever you deal with a problem or challenge, record how you addressed it. Was it effective? Could you have addressed it better? In addition, talk to or read about other people who have solved similar issues or been through similar challenges. How did they solve it? Would it work for you?
2. Seeking to understand. Try not to dismiss what someone says just because you disagree. Strive to ask questions to delve deeper into that person's thinking. Read or listen to different perspectives on a subject.
3. Admitting ignorance. I try to never assume I am the smartest person in the room. I always assume that the person I'm talking to knows a lot more than I do about something important, and that I can learn from him or her. 

Credibility
For Sun Tzu, credibility (xin) is essential to leading an army. If the soldiers do not trust you, they will not risk their lives for you. As a general, you have to demonstrate that you are trustworthy - that you keep your word.

In your own life, try to follow these three practices in developing credibility:

1. Keeping your word. Try your best to keep promises that you make. Pay attention to your actions, making sure that they align with your words.
2. Be a good confidante. Be someone others can trust with their thoughts and feelings. Resist passing judgment on people, but always give your honest opinion.
3. Speak from experience. No one likes someone who preaches to them. Use "I" statements; tell people how you dealt with something or how you feel, without telling others how you think they should act.

Compassion
For Sun Tzu, the general must have compassion (ren) in order to lead his soldiers and serve as protector of the people. The virtuous general sees the humanity in everyone, including his enemies, which is a very important reason why Sun Tzu values winning without battle. As such, only a compassionate general can use deception, since his ultimate aim is not to destroy the enemy, but to halt his will to fight.

In your own life, to be an effective leader of yourself and others, you need to cultivate compassion for others as well as yourself. The following are a few ways to do this:

1. See All Under Heaven as one family. This is a phrase that comes from Confucius. It means that all of us are imperfect, yet ever-growing beings, deserving of love, support, and understanding. In that way, we are but one family, operating under the same human condition.
2. View your happiness as worth protecting. The general's primary role is not to prove his skill in battle. It's not to destroy the enemy. His role is to protect the people and their interests, their way of life, their Tao. Likewise, you must view your happiness and well-being as worth protecting. You are the general of your life to protect your well-being and secure your growth, because the better you are doing, the better you'll be able to contribute to society at large. This is worth guarding.

Courage
In warfare, it is obvious that courage (yong) is an essential virtue to cultivate. For Sun Tzu, the general must be willing not simply to fight in battle, but to throw his soldiers, for whom he cares as if they were his own children, into harm's way, so that they unite together in defeating the enemy.

You, too, need the courage to take action in the face of uncertainty. If you want to advance your situation and overcome the daily challenges in your life, you need to have the courage to make tough decisions - to have tough conversations. It is not easy, and I am first to admit that this virtue is hard for me. But the following are some practices to help cultivate courage in your own life:

1. Calculating the dangers of not taking action. Most people think about the consequences of taking a certain action. But just as important is considering the consequences of not taking action. What will happen if you decide not to have that difficult, yet critical conversation? What will happen if you decide not to confront someone's toxic behavior?
2. Developing contingency plans and exit strategies. Sun Tzu's general is constantly making calculations, analyzing his situation, making contingency plans, and trying to remove errors. If you are afraid to take action, then one reassurance is knowing that your plan is as strong as it can be. Give yourself a contingency plan in case Plan A doesn't work out. Try always to have an exit strategy so that you know you are protected.
3. Letting go. At a certain point, you must let your decision up to fate. If you are honest, compassionate, and confident, then the odds are on your side that it will end up okay. It is rare that a decision you make, if you are honest and well-intentioned, is irreversible.

Discipline
Discipline (yan), for Sun Tzu, involves having high standards for oneself as well as one's soldiers. A disciplined general ensures the soldiers stay focused on the task at hand and do not cultivate bad thoughts or habits that would distract them from their mission.

In your own life, you will have many things that will distract you from your overall purpose - from social media to news articles to text messages to TV shows. Indeed, you will also develop thoughts that will distract you - self-defeating thoughts such as "I'm a horrible person," "I will never amount to anything," or procrastinating thoughts such as "I can do that tomorrow," or "I'm not ready yet."

Discipline is about staying focused on completing the important tasks that will serve your overall purpose. This doesn't mean you can't have time for fun or entertainment or enjoyment. Rather, it means that important things are put first.

Like courage, discipline is very hard. I struggle with it as well. The following are some ways I try to cultivate discipline:

1. Implementing systems. The best way to keep focused and disciplined is by developing a system that makes doing the task easy and top of mind. For example, I use a task manager that sends me notifications for when I am to complete important tasks.
2. Thinking in terms of progress. Try not to focus on reaching a goal or target. Rather, try to compare your current results to the time before. What you want is better results than before. Focus on improvement, not achievement.
3. Focusing on consistency, not results. Along with #2, you want to focus less on reaching a target or producing a result than on the actual fact that you committed to doing the activity. If you're trying to improve your piano playing, for example, don't focus on playing a piece perfectly. Focus rather on the amount of time you spent practicing the piece, or the number of times you practiced in the week. Practice consistently, and the results will take care of themselves.

The Art of War encapsulates a philosophy of life for dealing with challenges you may be facing. While the book is complex, Sun Tzu offers us important reminders, or mantras, for how we can grow in our ability to face these challenges.

The following are three key mantras that I try to keep in mind as I deal with life's many challenges.

1. "Know thy enemy, know thyself."
2. "No gain, no action. No danger,  no battle."
3. "Avoid the strong, attack the weak."

Let's go in depth with each mantra.

Mantra 1: "Know thy enemy, know thyself"
This comes from Sun Tzu's most famous line in The Art of War. The full passage is: "Know the other, know the self, and in one hundred battles, you will not be in danger."

For Sun Tzu, victory in warfare comes not from willpower or perseverance or luck. It comes from knowledge. Knowledge of your enemy and knowledge of yourself. One gains this knowledge through intelligence and analysis.

In life, we do not spend enough time understanding the challenges we face and how we contribute to our situation. We complain when things don't go our way, or we celebrate when things do. Increasing your sense of control over your life starts with understanding the daily battles you face and your place in them.

Improving your relationship with your spouse starts with understanding what divides you two and how you've played into that.

Improving your status at work starts with understanding what is keeping you from advancing as well as your weaknesses and strengths.

Overcoming anxiety starts with understanding what anxiety is and how you've constructed a life that allows for anxiety to overwhelm you.

Facing the challenges in your life starts with shining some light on them - looking at them and examining them. Once you know them deeply, you can develop a plan of action for dealing with them.

Mantra 2: "No gain, no action. No danger,  no battle."
This mantra comes from the twelfth chapter in The Art of War. The full passage goes like this:

"If there is no advantage, do not move. If there is nothing to gain, do not mobilize. If there is no danger, do not fight. The ruler may not, from anger, dispatch soldiers. The general may not, from resentment, seek to fight. If engaging to take an advantage, then move. If not, then stop."

Here Sun Tzu reminds us of a key principle in warfare: every action has a cost. The only costs really worth taking are the ones where you can gain from it. In this way, The Art of War is not simply a book about winning. It's about making winning pay. It's about winning in a way that you are better off than you were before.

For Sun Tzu, taking action without understanding what you will gain from doing so, or fighting with someone without something being threatened, is a waste of valuable resources that could be used to improve your situation.

This is just as applicable to your life as it is to Sun Tzu's army. We are taught to act, act, act. To not just sit, but to do. To not wait, but take the bull by the horns.

But you don't always have to speak your mind or share your opinion. You don't always have to argue if someone says something you disagree with. You don't always have to take action.

The Sun Tzu Way lies in understanding when to move and when to wait. This is what Sun Tzu calls jie, or timing.

Mantra 3:  "Avoid the strong, attack the weak"
This mantra comes from the sixth chapter on "Emptiness and Fullness." The full passage is as follows:

"The army's positioning is like water. Just as water avoids the high and rushes to the low, an army's positioning avoids the strong and rushes to the weak."

For Sun Tzu, victory in war comes not from defeating an enemy in battle. It doesn't come from advanced skill in fighting. True victory comes from applying strength against weakness. It comes from uniting your forces where the enemy is unprepared. It comes from taking the unexpected line of attack.

Sun Tzu's philosophy is a philosophy of opportunism. You must see the right opening - a vulnerability in the market, a chance for you to gain recognition - and seize it as quickly as possible. The secret to winning is never to win where it is tough, but where victory can be easily gained. As Sun Tzu tells us, "Those skilled warriors of the past won where it was easy to win. Therefore, the victory of a skilled warrior is neither 'brilliant' nor 'bravely achieved.'"

You must always prepare yourself for seizing opportunities and moving into openings. Success is not about being the best, the most aggressive, or even the most intelligent. It is about taking advantage of what is offered you and using it to serve your purpose.

For Sun Tzu, there are five roles that are crucial to the army's success:

1. The ruler, who must unite the people with common purpose and who gives orders to the general.
2. The general, who provides security to the nation by commanding the army.
3. The officers, who distribute the general's commands and manage the soldiers.
4. The soldiers, who execute the general's commands (via the officers), including fighting the enemy.
5. The informers (i.e. spies and guides), who provide critical information about the army's situation (Heaven, Ground, and enemy) to the general.

Weakness in any of these five roles dooms the army to failure. Without a strong ruler, for instance, the people, including the army, will not be united or supportive. Without a capable general, the nation will not be secure. Without effective officers, the soldiers will be confused and distrustful. Without trained and committed soldiers, the army's objectives will not be achieved. And without daring and credible informers, the army will be operating in complete darkness, guessing and groping at the path forward.

To be successful and to overcome challenges in your own life, you too must take on each of these roles:

1. As ruler, you need to understand your purpose - your values, aspirations, mission.
2. As general, you need to protect your interests (economic, professional, spiritual) and evaluate your options.
3. As officer, you need to implement effective methods (systems, techniques, practices) for executing results and ensure you're sticking to them.
4. As soldier, you need to commit to your plans, trusting them to guide you.
5. Lastly, as an informer, you need to listen to changes in your situation and be honest with yourself.

​Like the army, weakness in any of these roles will likely lead to failure. Without clear purpose, you'll be easily distracted by the next shiny thing that promises you success. Without clear leadership, you'll fail to act when there's a threat to your position or status. Without clear, effective methods, you'll waste resources and lose motivation. Without a strong commitment, you'll quit when things get hard. And without honest information, you'll just be guessing at what the next move should be, not knowing when to keep going, change plans, or quit.

While playing each of these roles might seem overwhelming, it's better to think of them as constant values to keep in mind:

1. For rulers, the value is purpose.
2. For general, the value is protection.
3. For officers, the value is effectiveness.
4. For soldiers, the value is commitment.
5. For informers, the value is honesty.

​Keep these values always in mind and you'll steer in the right direction.