If you know neither the enemy nor yourself,
you will succumb in every battle Sun Tzu War is part of life. It’s in the nature of most living organisms to engage in battle, defeat opponents, and to dominate. With humans, we see this happen in war, in
business, on the soccer field, in video games, in the night club, and even on YouTube. And chances are that when we’re not engaging
in a battle with our environment, we’re waging war against ourselves. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an ancient Chinese
military text composed of thirteen chapters, that are devoted to the strategic and tactical
aspects of warfare. The Art of War explains in detail how we must
behave in battle, and, more importantly: how to win. What makes a strong army? In what manner should we approach the enemy
on ‘enclosed terrain’? And how should we use spies to garner information,
or to spread ‘fake news’? Aside from specific tips on combat, the Art
of War has a profound philosophical side to it. Sun Tzu argues that war shouldn’t be taken
lightly, that the highest form of warfare is defeating the enemy without fighting, and
that being ‘still’ and ‘inscrutable’ is the business of a general. He emphasizes the use of intelligence over
brute force and teaches us how to win battles the smart way. The beauty of the Art of War is that its wisdom
can be applied to our modern lives as well; even in times of peace, when we don’t have
to deal with bloodshed, but rather with work, sports, and daily conflicts in general. This video explores the wisdom of Sun Tzu’s
work: The Art of War. Sun Tzu, also known as Master Sun, was a military
strategist, and philosopher, who lived about 2,500 thousand years ago and is traditionally
appointed the author of the Art of War. But some Chinese scholars doubt the existence
of Sun Tzu, and believe that The Art of War is a compilation of works by different authors. Sun Tzu supposed to have lived during the
time of the Zhou Dynasty, around the time that Taoist sage Lao Tzu and philosopher Confucius
lived. His birthplace is disputed. Some say he was born in the state of Qi, others
believe in the state of Wu. But the oldest available sources agree that
he was a general and strategist who served the king of Wu. Throughout the ages, Sun Tzu’s work inspired
numerous people within the military as well as outside the military. The Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp,
for example, defeated the French during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, by using tactics
described in The Art of War. And Brazilian soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
used the ancient strategy guide to win the 2002 World Cup. The Art of War emphasizes the importance of
good preparation. The underlying philosophy is that victory
and defeat are already decided before the battle is fought. This means that with sufficient knowledge
and calculations, it’s possible to estimate the chances of winning a battle. Which side is stronger? Who’s more likely to win? Good research is essential. And if necessary, we need to employ spies
to acquire the necessary information. We must know what we’re up against and be
realistic about our own strengths and weaknesses. To create an obedient army, it’s vital for
a leader to know his soldiers; every kind of soldier needs a different treatment. Self-awareness is key; as if we know ourselves,
we know which enemies we’re able to defeat, and which enemies we should run from. Oftentimes it’s better to avoid conflict
if that avoids great loss. According to Sun Tzu, the highest victory
is defeating the enemy without even fighting. Unfortunately, this ideal isn’t always an
option. That’s why in life we ought to pick our
battles carefully, knowing which are worth fighting and which are a waste of energy and
resources. And the battles we choose must be fought as
efficient as possible. The strength of an army is limited; even the
biggest army in the world can run out of equipment, fuel, army vehicles, and, of course, the soldiers
who operate them. Lengthy wars are disastrous for a country
and its resources, and will only exhaust those that participate. Thus, the best way to win a battle is by striking
quickly, with the minimal use of resources. Don’t destroy the enemy’s cities and resources
when we can use them for our own, and don’t needlessly kill the enemy’s soldiers when
they can join our ranks. Here we begin to see the Taoist influences
in Sun Tzu’s way of thinking, as he doesn’t advocate for mindless destruction, but for
waging war intelligently and leaving the enemy as intact as possible, so their force can
become our own. I quote: In war, better take a state intact than destroy
it. Better take an army, a regiment, a detachment,
a company intact, than destroy them. Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every
battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting. The highest form of warfare is to attack strategy
itself. The next, to attack alliances; the next to
attack armies. The lowest form of war is to attack cities. Siege warfare is the last resort. End quote. In war, victory is a product of measurement,
estimation, calculation and comparison. If victory is clear: fight. If defeat is certain: do not fight. If we choose to fight, we need to have sufficient
knowledge in order to decide the right strategies, that lead us to victory. For example, when we outnumber an enemy greatly,
the best way to attack is by surrounding them. But when we are outnumbered, it’s better
to hide. In such a situation, applying guerilla warfare
has been a winning strategy for the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Taliban mingled with civilians and used
secret hideouts and tunnel networks to remain unseen while using sophisticated propaganda
techniques and maintaining both cohesion and flexibility among their ranks. If they would have attacked their enemy head-on,
they’d certainly have lost. But by using coordinated hit-and-run techniques,
they’ve proved to be a force to be reckoned with. A way to win smart is the art of deception. I quote: When able, feign inability;
When deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far;
When far, appear near. End quote. You might remember the Iraqi minister of information
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf who tried to keep up appearances, telling the audiences that
everything is okay and that his forces are winning. He might have been reading The Art of War. Unfortunately for him, his attempts to deceive
the enemy weren’t all that convincing. "They are not near Baghdad. Don't believe them." In war, it’s essential to be adaptive to
changing circumstances. Like water, war has no constant form. The enemy changes all the time, as well as
natural circumstances like season and terrain. Sun Tzu encourages us to derive victory from
the changing circumstances of the enemy, while staying formless ourselves. This means that we should always observe the
enemy carefully, and prevent exposing ourselves to them. This is how we stay aware of our opponent’s
everchanging dispositions, so we can use them to our advantage. For example, Sun Tzu tells us to avoid the
keen spirit, and instead attack the dull and homesick, and that we should watch certain
patterns to determine the enemy’s strength. As he puts it: “defence implies lack; attack
implies abundance.” He also tells us ensure our own invulnerability,
and wait for the enemy’s vulnerability. This is basically the core strategy when playing
a game of squash: focus on playing well, wait for your opponent to make a mistake, and exploit
it. The Art of War lays out different situations
and how to act in them, like different terrains. For example, we should camp on high grounds
and face the open, and always fight downhill. And if the enemy crosses a river towards us,
we must not confront him midstream but let half of his troops cross before we strike. Sun Tzu distinguishes nine kinds of battlegrounds,
that each require different ways of fighting. For example, when the ground is strategically
advantageous, to either side, it’s 'strategic ground.' For a company, this could be a specific location
in a city. And for an army, it could be elevated terrain
that is useful for combat. But there’s also ‘death ground’, on
which there’s only one way to survive: fight. An example of death ground is the Battle of
the Morannon in The Lord of the Rings, which was the final battle against Sauron. Sun Tzu teaches us the importance of finding
balance and inner peace when going to war. We shouldn’t be too reckless, but not cowards
either. And it’s dangerous to be easily triggered
because it’s easy to lure people with a temper into battle. This is an important lesson for a YouTuber,
because getting triggered all the time by rude comments and internet trolls will only
lead to exhausting, meaningless battles that are unnecessary to fight. Also, a general should be compassionate to
his men and treat them with humanity, but being too concerned with them leads to worry
and trouble. I quote: There are five pitfalls for a general: recklessness,
leading to destruction; cowardice, leading to capture, a hot temper, prone to provocation;
a delicacy of honour, tending to shame; a concern for his men, leading to trouble. End quote. The Art of War teaches us how pick and win
our battles. Rather than focusing on brute force, Sun Tzu
advises us to measure and calculate, to know our enemies and ourselves, so we can be victorious
before even making a move. He teaches us how to be smarter than our opponents,
deceive and manipulate them, and use any situation to our advantage. At the same time, he urges us to defeat without
fighting and to prevent suffering as much as possible. If we can defeat an enemy without bloodshed,
lead with wisdom and compassion while maintaining discipline, and adapt to the changing nature
of earth and heaven, then war is truly an art. Thank you for watching.
