I watched this hour and a half long documentary on Sun Tzu’s lessons, and real historical wars America fought inside and outside of America.
I wept throughout.
I value, overall, human life. Even if it is the life of someone I don’t like, don’t respect, or who is the enemy.
So it was painful.
If you are one of those who doesn’t have the stomach for real life, who only wants to know about the nice things in life… You are stupid. Life is life, people are people, and life is war.
Whether you like it or not.
And turning your face away doesn’t change that, only makes you unprepared.
What do I mean? All relationship is war. Including inside a loving family. Because we all want what we want, and we are opposed every step of the way. You either know how to win and have your way, or you are enslaved, and miserable.
All business is war.
If you are not prepared, you are dead meat.
I was first given this book to read back in 1987. I wasn’t smart enough to enjoy it. I had nothing to connect it with. It was wasted on me.
You need to be up to something, and you also need to be in action… and I wasn’t.
Not only that: the new Sequoia trees, Sun Tzu’s teaching had no chance to send roots and connect to other knowledge… my knowledge, at that point, was like an island: only architecture… the rest… not much. No foundation.
Today, nearly 30 years later I regret that I didn’t use the book as a guidance… but better late than never.
After watching this documentary, I see the immense value in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z4IuOHGAFU
Applying Lessons from Sun Tzu and The Art of War to Everyday Life
Sun Tzu was a legendary military strategist in ancient China and he is the author of the famous book, The Art of War. He was a master of “soft power” and the father of “agile warfare.” Whenever possible, he preferred to win without fighting or, at the very least, to win the easiest battles first.
This post originally appeared on JamesClear.com.
He wrote, “In war, the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.” He advised his troops to “make your way by unexpected routes and attack unguarded spots.” And he further stated, “Military tactics are like water. For water, in its natural course, runs away from high places and hastens downwards. So, in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak.”
The teachings of Sun Tzu extend far beyond the field of battle because they are focused on finding the easiest way to achieve a specific goal. His approaches can be applied to everything from business growth and goal setting to weight loss and habit formation.
Let’s talk about how to apply military strategy to our daily lives.
The Battle for Better Habits
Too often, we try to build new habits, achieve big goals, and otherwise “win at life” through sheer force. We fight our battles directly and attack the enemy—in this case, our bad habits—at the point where they are strongest.
For example:
- We try to follow a strict diet while we are out to dinner with friends.
- We try to write a book in a noisy environment.
- We try to eat healthy in a house filled with sweets and sugar.
- We try to do our homework with the television on.
- We try to concentrate while using a smartphone filled with social media apps, games, and other distractions.
And when we fall off course and fail to achieve our goals, we blame ourselves for “not wanting it badly enough” and for not having enough willpower. In many cases, however, failure is not a result of poor willpower, but a result of poor strategy.
Good military leaders start by winning easy battles and improving their position. They wait until the opposition is weakened and morale is low before they take on their foe directly. Why start a war by fighting battles in areas that are well-defended? Why start new habits in an environment that makes progress difficult?
Sun Tzu would never lead his army into a battle where the terrain was not to his advantage. He would not begin by attacking the point where the enemy is strongest. Similarly, we should make easy improvements to our habits first, build our strength, and establish a better position from which to attack the most difficult changes.
Sun Tzu, Master of Habits
Let’s adapt Sun Tzu’s teachings to building better habits. Here are a few examples that take his thoughts on war and apply them to daily life.
Example 1:
- Sun Tzu: “You can be sure in succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.”
- Adapted: “You can be sure in succeeding in your habits if you only build habits which are easy to maintain.”
Example 2:
- Sun Tzu: “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
- Adapted: “He will improve his behavior who knows which habits to start with and which ones to leave for later.”
Example 3:
- Sun Tzu: “A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return.”
- Adapted: “A clever person, therefore, avoids the areas where bad habits are strongest, but attacks them where they are weak and easy to change.”
Fight Battles You Are Destined to Win
Becoming better is not simply a matter of willpower or work ethic. It’s also a matter of strategy. What people assume is a lack of willpower or an unwillingness to change is often a consequence of trying to build good habits in bad environments.
- If you are trying to read more books, don’t do it in a room filled with video games, Netflix, and a television. Move to a less distracting environment.
- If you’re very overweight, don’t try to follow a workout program for college athletes. You can get there eventually, but that’s not a battle you need to fight right now. Start with a manageable change.
- If you’re surrounded by people who tear down your goals, then work on your projects in a different location or reach out to like-minded people.
- If you’re trying to stick to a writing habit when your kids are home from school and your house is in chaos, then work on it at a different time. Switch to a time of less resistance.
Build your habits where it is easy to do so. Re-define the situation. Create a game where the odds are stacked in your favor.
It sounds simple, but how often do you find yourself fighting difficult battles and ignoring easy ones? There is plenty of time to fight the difficult battles. Win the easy battles first.
The smartest path is to improvement is the one of least resistance. Fight battles you are destined to win.
And here is another documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EQFRVnwGQc
