Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of managing expectations to create space for unexpected opportunities.
Sun Tzu's quote highlights the strategic advantage of engaging people with familiar concepts to maintain their comfort and predictability. By doing so, it allows for stealth and preparation to introduce extraordinary ideas or opportunities when least anticipated, thereby achieving greater impact and influence.
Themes
StrategyAnticipationExpectationInfluenceOpportunity
In practice
Example use cases
In a business presentation, to prepare the audience for a groundbreaking proposal after discussing familiar benchmarks.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes →Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
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