The Five Core Tenets of The Sun Tzu Way

The Sun Tzu Way is, at its core, a philosophy of life. It provides a practical framework that users can use to not only overcome the challenges they face in life, but live a better life - one that is filled with greater calm, serenity, and happiness.

In studying The Art of War and developing my own understanding of the Sun Tzu Way, I've come to realize that there are five core tenets of the Sun Tzu Way. While belief in these tenets is not necessary by any means in order to utilize the principles and strategies, these tenets help provide a foundation for understanding why the Sun Tzu Way is so powerful and relevant to our lives.

These five tenets, in short, are

1. Change is inevitable.
2. Life is war.
3. There's no such thing as absolute control.
4. Every action bears a cost.
5. Strategy is the Way.

Each tenet relates in some way to one of the five factors that influence or determine your situation. Let's review each tenet in greater depth.

Tenet 1: Change is inevitable.
For Sun Tzu, change is a natural, inevitable feature of life. Indeed, the word Sun Tzu gives for the factor that governs change is Tian, or Heaven. Thus, the forces of change are like ordained by the gods - completely beyond our control. It is responsible for the rotation of the seasons, the weather, the temperature, and the time of day.

In your own life, change is also inevitable. Every day, you grow older, and so do the people around you. The habits, thoughts, and opinions you had when you were younger will certainly transform as you get older. The tastes or fads that were popular in your culture will eventually be replaced or transform. 

For Sun Tzu, change can either be the source of weakness, if you're not prepared, or opportunity, if you are. Thus, the skilled warrior (shàn zhàn zhě) of life not only accepts change, but embraces it. She sees in it the opportunities for growth and security - but only if she is prepared.

Tenet 2: Life is war.
The nature of change leads us to our second tenet: that life itself is war. Because change is the source of opportunities, competition is a natural consequence. People will always compete for better opportunities, especially if their situation has been worsened by change.

In addition, we are naturally resistant to change. While change is natural and the source of opportunities, it also brings with it danger and risk. Not all change is good, even if it is inevitable. Thus, conflict is also a natural consequence to change.

As such, the factor that governs this tenet is the Ground. The Ground, for Sun Tzu, encompasses both what we compete on and what we compete for. It influences our situation and determines the quality of our options.

In your own life, it is easy to see that life is full of struggle. We struggle with the people in our lives, our circumstances, even our own selves. We struggle to learn, to change our attitudes, to advance our careers. Everything is a struggle in life. This is inescapable.

The skilled warrior of life embraces this fact. He prepares his mind to deal with the challenges he inevitably is going to face. He knows that with every struggle he overcomes, another one is around the corner. So he is always vigilant, always careful about the struggles he faces.

Tenet 3: There's no such thing as absolute control.
For Sun Tzu, in war, one can never have absolute control over anything - one can only have more or less control in a situation than the enemy. Even more, if one has the ability to control what the enemy perceives, then one has greater control, or influence, over the enemy's decision-making.

Thus, for Sun Tzu, control is a matter of degree and largely a matter of perception. We cannot completely control our situation, but we can gain advantages that give us more control or influence over our situation. To whatever degree we can increase our control, the better the outcome will be for us.

The factor that guides this tenet is the General. Because the General controls the decision-making of the army, he must continually evaluate his options and make choices that gradually increase the army's ability to control its fate. He must constantly look for opportunities brought on by Heaven and calculate the best time to move forward.

In your own life, the same idea runs true. While your actions and thoughts are, to a degree, within your control, this control is not absolute. Your thoughts, your actions, your emotional responses, your values - these are heavily influenced by forces beyond your control. These forces are biological, social, psychodynamic, cultural, historical, institutional, and economic. Your choices are never completely your own.

On the flip side, you have more control or influence over your environment than you think. The things you say and do can affect others in profound ways. You are as much a part of your environment as it is a part of you.

The skilled warrior of life does not seek absolute control, not even over herself. Rather, she accepts that the vast majority of forces in her life are outside of her control. What she focuses on is how to exercise the control she knows she has so that she can gradually increase it. The motto she follows in life is: "Strive to end up better than before." 

Tenet 4: Every action bears a cost.
For Sun Tzu, running and mobilizing an army costs resources. Not just money, but time, effort, equipment, weapons, and even lives. This is another reason why life is war: resources are limited. This increases the need for competition.

For Sun Tzu, the factor that governs this tenet is Methods. The wise and disciplined general understands how to manage his resources, including money, lines of communication, and his soldiers. His organization is focused on efficiency and effectiveness, using the enemy's resources when possible to not only supply his men, but to make war more expensive for the enemy. He uses training and simple communications to avoid confusion. And he avoid direct conflict with the enemy as much as possible.

Likewise, in your own life, you need Methods that support what you are trying to do. You need efficient and effective practices, systems, principles, and techniques that you can rely on in different situations.

Developing the efficient and effective methods requires education. It requires study and access to information. Thus, the skilled warrior of life understands that information is an expense that is always worth paying when it comes to reducing costs. He always seeks intelligence before making decisions and uses the appropriate methods based on this.

Tenet 5: Strategy is the Way.
The need for increasing control and managing costs is what makes strategy an essential tool for moving from where you are to where you want to be. For Sun Tzu, strategy is the bridge between aspiration and action. It outlines not only what you're trying to achieve, but how you understand you will get there. It determines your priorities and guiding principles.

The factor that governs this tenet is Tao, or the Way. The Way guides the Methods as well as the General's understanding of the Ground and Heaven. It is the unifying principle that brings the soldiers, officers, general, people, and rulers together, giving meaning to the war they are facing and what is at stake.

In your own life, strategic thinking is just as important for you as it is for Sun Tzu's general. You are the leader of your life. You need to make choices that maximize your control and serve your overall aspirations. You need to understand what is at stake with every struggle you face. You need to take strategy seriously.

The skilled warrior of life understands that to achieve her goals and aspirations, she needs to think strategically. She always strives to understand the obstacles in her path and is willing to be ruthless in trying to eliminate them. She doesn't make excuses for why she is not progressing. Rather, she adjusts her understanding and adapts to the situation.

That is the way of the skilled warrior.