Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
First learn to become invincible, then wait for your enemy's moment of vulnerability.
Interpretation
One must first build strength and resilience before seizing opportunities against adversaries.
This quote from Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of preparation and self-improvement as foundational steps before engaging in conflict. It suggests that having a solid defense and strategy will position you to effectively identify and take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses when they arise.
In practice
During a leadership workshop to discuss strategic planning and competitive advantage.
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.
The unexpected action of deep listening can create a space of transformation capable of shattering complacency and despair.
We need to strengthen such inner values as contentment, patience and tolerance, as well as compassion for others. Keeping in mind that it is expressions of affection rather than money and power that attract real friends, compassion is the key to ensuring our own well-being.
Gratitude is what starts the receiving process.
there is no reason why anyone should understand how it works⦠and of course no reason why anyone should care ⦠unless you are curious, in which case I love you, for curiosity about the world and all its corners is a beautiful thing.
Nobody but you is responsible for your life. You are responsible for your life. What is your life? What is all life? What is every flower, every rock, every tree? Energy. And you're responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and you're responsible for the energy that you bring to others.
Explore, and explore. Be neither chided nor flattered out of your position of perpetual inquiry. Neither dogmatize or accept another's dogmatism.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.