6.3

"Go out to where he does not hurry. Hurry to places he does not expect."
- Sun Tzu

This passage relates to the two aspects of deception mentioned in Book 1: concealment and surprise. For Sun Tzu, the army must take an indirect route to establish its position. Taking the indirect route means travelling through places that the enemy is not worried about, and thus does not hurry to. This is concealment. Then the army can catch the enemy off-guard by appearing where the enemy did not expect. This is surprise.

In life, this same principle is applicable. If you are in a competitive environment, you must resist the urge to build up your position in an obvious way. If you're aiming for a particular internal position at your work, for example, don't start by declaring your intention. The people around you (potential competitors) will start building obstacles in your path.

Rather, you may want to start building relationships with people close to that position. Or you may want to volunteer for tasks that other people may not want, but that can highlight your skills and abilities related to that position. Then, when the time comes to put your hat in the ring, you'll likely be top of mind.