"Not allowing [the enemy] to win means defending. Being able to win means attacking. If one defends, then one does not [have] enough [advantages]. If one attacks, then one has a surplus [of advantages]."
- Sun Tzu Sun Tzu here highlights an interesting paradox in warfare, highlighted in the language of the text. The line "not allowing [the enemy] to win" also translates to "not able to win." Likewise, "being able to win" can also be translated to "allowing [the enemy] to win." This possibility of contradiction is perhaps not lost on Sun Tzu when he says that by defending, one does not have enough advantages, but by attacking, one has a surplus of them. What Sun Tzu means by this is when an army is in a defensive position, even if it is able to ward off the possibility of defeat, it is always operating at a disadvantage. This is because the army is giving the enemy the ability to control the dynamic of the battle, allowing the enemy to choose where to attack and how the army must organize resources. It is only by being in a position to attack that one can actually gain advantage. One gains advantages by making maneuvers, by undermining the enemy's position, by surprising the enemy (to quote Sun Tzu's famous line in Book 1, "Attack where [the enemy] is unprepared"). The key, then, is to strike a balance between defending and attacking that allows one to prevent defeat while at the same time acquire advantages over the enemy. Sun Tzu goes into what this balance looks like in subsequent passages, but the key thing here is for the army to avoid getting stuck in a defensive posture. The goal is to always have the element of surprise on one's side. Similarly, in your own life, you always want to make sure not to be put in a defensive position. You should always try to avoid being the target of attack and, if you are the target of attack, to know how to turn the tables on the assailant. Keep your intentions concealed and keep your moves quiet and always try to put your opponents on the defensive in arguments or battles.
0 Comments
"Thus, it is said: 'Victory can be known, but it cannot be made.'"
- Sun Tzu For Sun Tzu, total victory always depends on the enemy, not the self. An army cannot make itself victorious; it can only make itself unbeatable. Victory is achieved when the enemy allows himself to become beatable, that is, vulnerable to a defeating attack or set of attacks. It is important here to understand the power of positioning: victory, for Sun Tzu, occurs when the enemy is in a position to be defeated. It is by being in a position of defeat that the enemy becomes defeated. It is not when an enemy is destroyed, but when an enemy is trapped, with no support, no alliances, no available resources, no options for fighting, no real hope for winning, that the enemy is defeated. The game, for Sun Tzu, is putting the enemy in such a position without doing battle. The first and most important step for a general to take in this process is making the army unbeatable with respect to the enemy's own positioning; in other words, thwarting the enemy's plans and intentions so that the enemy cannot attack the army. In your own life, you must also remember this process. Your goal in whatever endeavor you wish to succeed in is to make the game as easy to win as possible. Winning the game isn't in your control; that depends on whatever opportunity pops up. But you can make yourself prepared to take advantage of any opportunity that pops up. And you can also make it so that you can always stay in the game. Know the rules of the game your playing. Know what is required to stay in the game. Slowly build resources and develop skills to give you an edge over any competition. Be prepared. "The skilled warriors of the past first focused on not allowing [the enemy] to win, waiting for the enemy to allow [them] to win. Not allowing [the enemy] to win lies in the self; [the enemy] allowing [them] to win lies in the enemy. Therefore, the skilled warrior is able to not allow the enemy to win; he cannot make the enemy necessarily allow [him] to win. "
- Sun Tzu The title of Book 4 directly translates to "Form" or "Formation," but I prefer the word "Positioning." Positioning refers to a state where one is able to make maneuvers, attacks, or produce specific effects. This is the theme of Book 4, as this passage reflects. Here Sun Tzu informs us of a key principle in military strategy: the army's focus should not be on destroying the enemy, but on protecting against defeat. This is because, for Sun Tzu, protecting against defeat is within the army's control, whereas destroying the enemy is not. By protecting against defeat, the army can then wait for an opportunity to defeat the enemy. In your own life, this is the principle you must apply. You cannot force opportunities to occur. Rather, you must focus on building up your skills, your resources, your knowledge. You must focus on preparing yourself against losing out. Then you can wait for an opportunity to pass by that you can take advantage of. |