(04/10/20) On “The Art of War”

I reread “The Art of War” because frankly, I didn’t understand it at first. However, tracing his advice about war and the battlefield back to my own life, I am imbued with practical knowledge on how to conduct myself more like a warrior. Before we begin, it is important to define “the enemy”. Finding victory over the enemy is anything that you find personally difficult or heights you are trying to achieve. For me, my biggest enemies are procrastination and trying to write thought-provoking pieces that help people. I hope that by the end of this piece, you can find something that helps you defeat your enemy.

First, the entire book is based upon a key component: knowing yourself and knowing your enemy.

Two sides of the same coin, they are integral to your personal success. If you do not know yourself, the enemy can easily gain an advantage on you. If you do not know your enemy, you can never have the upper hand on your opponent. Only by using these two in tandem can you find success more abundantly.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” — Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu also lays out 2 final sets of ideas that should be carefully studied and applied to find victory. First are the 5 essentials of victory.

Five essentials of victory

1. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” — Sun Tzu. Victory comes to those that not only plan and fight but those who know when to retreat and fight another day.
2. “He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.” — Sun Tzu. There will always be those stronger than you, and those who are weaker. True victory lies in recognizing which is which and act accordingly.
3. “He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.” — Sun Tzu. When one is highly spirited and full of energy, they are easily motivated and rouses to action.
4. “He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.” — Sun Tzu. Those who prepare and strategize will always be able to catch their enemy unaware and thus, will always find victory. By knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you can overcome any obstacle.
5. “He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.” — Sun Tzu. Those who aren’t capable and strong will have trouble overcoming hardships and obstacles. Consolidating your strengths as an individual, and playing to your advantages will result in victory.

“A clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease.”- Sun Tzu

On the other side of this coin are the five dangerous faults. These are five things that will surely result in defeat if they are not avoided.

Five dangerous faults

1. “Recklessness, which leads to destruction” — Sun Tzu. A sound and thoughtful leader cannot be reckless in his action, or he will be swiftly defeated in every venture.
2. “Cowardice, which leads to capture” — Sun Tzu. By retreating under the slightest bit of pressure, you cannot hope to gain victory. Victory is only awarded to those who take a chance.
3. “A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults” — Sun Tzu. The most disciplined mind can be clouded by anger, and this can lead them down a very slippery slope and lead them into traps.
4. “A delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame” — Sun Tzu. I translate this tenant to the “fear of failure”. Those who are afraid of failing will never take a risk due to fear of being ostracized, and victory will never bestow itself upon them.
5. “Over-solicitude of his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.” — Sun Tzu. I translate this tenant to “overindulgence”. Without strict discipline toward the difficult things that will benefit us in the long term, we will never find victory in our grasp.

Sun Tzu’s timeless words hit extraordinarily hard right now in the present day. Hopefully, these words help me rise and find victory in my life, and hopefully, they help you too.