Comparing: Self-Reliance
The Art of War 8:4.1-8:4.8 <Make> <use> <war> <is>
This post continues our project explaining each stanza of Sun Tzu’s work. The English and Chinese quotes are from my award-winning translation, The Art of War and The Ancient Chinese Revealed. Basic translations are written from the narrow perspective of opposing armies. These articles focus on the more general application of this philosophy to all competition. Start here for the book’s opening lines.
The text explained in this article is Section Four of Chapter 8 of The Art of War. This Section consists of only one stanza, five lines of Chinese. The general topic of this chapter is Adaptability, but its Chinese title is <Nine> <Changes>. The topic of this short stanza is our inward focus during change storms.
The <nine> here is from Hexagram Nine of the I-Ching. This hexagram, called Wind Over Heaven, refers to dark clouds on the horizon, a coming storm. Though the strategic element, Climate, represents constant change, its changes fall into certain categories that can be foreseen. One is coming storms, which can be called “change storms” where the changes can be destructive and chaotic. Another aspect of Hexagram Nine is that this situation brings new risks, but it brings opportunities as well.
Opportunities and Weaknesses
In the lines below, we summarize the Chinese characters in their original order, each with a single English word shown in < > brackets. The line of Chinese is followed by an English sentence translation.
<Make> <use> <war> <is>
You must make use of war.
Applying Sun Tzu to general strategy, we interpret “war” as a competitive comparison. We are constantly being compared to others, especially by those who are making decisions about us. This is the constant state of living and making our living in human society. It is a state that we cannot escape. Instead, we must embrace competition because we cannot advance in life without it.
The topic of this chapter, change, is another constant of our existence. These changes are also in a state of competition, warring with each other. We compare them in order to categorize them and prioritize them. Some changes we ignore. Some we use. Others, we must simply adapt to. Our comparison of these changes sets our priorities and helps us choose the best responses.
<Without> <rely> <on> <this> <no> <come,
Do not trust that the enemy isn’t coming.
In the context of this chapter, we cannot trust that change is not coming. Notice that the original Chinese doesn’t mention an enemy. We cannot trust that this change isn’t bringing new competition, not only from competitive attacks, but in the form of being outmoded and forgotten. Competition is always coming in one form or another. Others are constantly reevaluating their past decisions to support us, ignore us, or oppose us. In time of coming change, we must reexamine the basic of our positions, focusing on our own unique situations.
During normal times, we maintain our positions, maximize their productivity, while we survey our competitive areas for opportunities. When a storm is approaching, we become more inwardly force on our existing operations. Our positions are the centerpiece of our strategy. Keeping them secure is our first priority. During times of foreseen, chaotic change, the clouds on the horizon, the time before a storm, our positions must be protected, their windows boarded. However, the coming change also means that opportunities are also coming, even within the chaos of a change storm. Our self-reliance includes preparing to the afterparty.
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<Rely> <on> <our> <having> <by> <means> <of> <waiting> <it>
Trust your readiness to meet him by remaining patient.
Our positions exist in the minds of others. We cannot maintain the same places in their minds when their view of the world is changing. We want to maintain our positions after the storm, but we cannot know what these changes will be before the fact. We must perform for our customers and supporters better than ever before the storm comes. We stockpile goodwill when awaiting the storm just as we stockpile other resources we need to adapt after the storm passes.
Changes storms force us all to examine our assumptions about our positions and the positions of others. These chaotic periods of change seem to be coming more and more often, but that maybe an illusion of the nature of communication in our era. Modern media is constantly scanning the horizon for dark clouds and reporting every shadow as the next big danger or opportunity.
We must be selective about the changes to which we adapt to and when. Otherwise, our resources are wasted on constantly overreacting to every passing cloud. We must chart our own path, for our own benefit. As Sun Tzu says elsewhere, we can only trust ourselves and the self-interest of others.
<Without> <rely> <on> <this> <no> <attack>
Do not trust that the enemy won’t attack.
We cannot move forward unless the coming change creates opportunities for us. The same is true of others. No one can advance easily without an opportunity. We all must wait for those opportunities. We must be as eager to wait as we are to advance. There is a delicate balance between the patience of waiting and our eagerness for progress. The competitive environment dictates the right move and the right time, but we must use our own unique position to judge what and when to react.
Since our positions exist in the minds of others, we make sure that others are aware of how the changes we see might provide the basis for new mutual opportunities. Preparing others for the coming change is part of our preparation for the change storm. During the most chaotic parts of a change storm, moving is dangerous. During times when it would be dangerous to move. Others should see that we have not stopped but simply waiting for the right time to move.
<Rely> <on> <our> <having> <place> <no> <can> <attack> <also.>
Rely only on your ability to pick a place that the enemy can’t attack.
Our windows are boarded. What is loose is fastened down. Everything is covered.