Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.
Interpretation
Preparedness and resilience are essential in facing challenges.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of being prepared for potential threats instead of assuming they won't occur. It advocates for a proactive mindset, encouraging individuals to focus on strengthening their own position and capabilities, thereby becoming 'invincible' in the face of adversity.
In practice
In a leadership seminar focused on crisis management.
Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
On every team, there is a core group that sets the tone for everyone else. If the tone is positive, you have half the battle won. If it is negative, you are beaten before you ever walk on the field.
You need to plan the way a fire department plans: it cannot anticipate where the next fire will be, so it has to shape an energetic and efficient team that is capable of responding to the unanticipated as well as to any ordinary event.
When pressure mounts and strain increases everyone begins to show the weaknesses in his makeup. It is up to the Commander to conceal his: above all to conceal doubt, fear, and distrust.
The labor movement is organized upon a principle that the strong shall help the weak.
When other Generals make mistakes their armies are beaten; when I get into a hole, my men pull me out of it.
Orders and decorations are necessary in order to dazzle the people.
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