Comparison: Change Knowledge
The Art of War 8:1.14-21 Military leaders must be experts in knowing how to adapt to find an advantage.
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 eight lines discussed in this article are the second, third, and fourth stanzas in Section One of Chapter 8 of The Art of War. The general topic of this chapter is Adaptability, but its Chinese title is <Nine> <Changes>. The previous stanza listed some of these changes. These three stanzas list the consequences of knowing and not knowing the proper responses to these situations.
These stanzas primarily compare the quality of Command, but this comparison involves the other key elements of Climate, Methods, and Ground.
Knowledge
In the lines below, we summarize each Chinese character with a single English word shown in < > brackets. The line of Chinese is followed by an English sentence translation.
<Make> <general> <expert> <to> <nine> <changes> <of> <advantage> <is>
Military leaders must be experts in knowing how to adapt to find an advantage.
As we said in the previous article, Chinese often gives the general topic in the first line of a stanza. This line starts by introducing the idea that not all Command, i.e. <generals> and, more generally, decision-makers, know how to find the opportunities hidden in Change.
Competition is a comparison. One of the most basic comparisons is comparing our situation to common situations to know the proper response. Change is driven by Climate. In comparing different forms of change, we can identify the common types, each of which calls for a specific type of response. The <nine> used here doesn’t refer to the exact number of changes, but to the Hexagram Nine from the I-Ching. This hexagram, called Wind Over Heaven, refers to dark clouds on the horizon, a coming storm.
<Know> <use> <war> <will>
This will teach you the use of war.
Knowing these common situations and their appropriate responses helps us understand the overall nature of competition. In other words, our first step in competition is seeing the opportunities created by changes in climate. These opportunities allow us to advance into openings, where others cannot oppose us and ideally will support us. Competition is not conflict. It is comparing situations to know where it will be easier and less costly to advance our competitive position.
Ignorance
The next stanza describes the opposite situation.
<Generals> <not> <expert> <to> <nine> <changes> <of> <advantage> <is>
Some commanders are not skilled in making adjustments to find an advantage.
What we are comparing here are knowledgeable and ignorant decision-makers, when it comes to adapting to common changes. The main difference between the knowledgeable and that ignorant is that the ignorant cannot see the openings created by change. This means that they cannot know how to advance their position by using the opportunities that change always creates. Without the openings created by change, trying to advance our positions inevitably brings us into conflict with others. Conflict is expensive and destructive.
Sorting types of situations into common categories is a simple way of using change rather than fearing it. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly comparing things and sorting them to organize our thinking. This is the basis for all competitive thinking about “positions.” Change experts are those who have mastered proven Methods for comparing changes.
<Although> <know> <ground> <shape>
They can know the shape of the terrain.
The lessons here about the changes of Climate, echo the earlier lessons in Chapter Six about Battleground Knowledge and Battleground Ignorance. The key difference is that the element of Ground is relatively stable in terms of its shape, but it is not stable in terms of its Climate. The element of Climate is inherently unstable, constantly changing. This fact requires constant attention, not to stop change, which is impossible, but to adapt to it.
<No> <can> <obtain> <ground> <’s> <advantage> <will>
Still, they cannot find an advantageous position.
Climate and Ground are two sides of the same coin. When we change ground, we also change climate. <Change>, in turn, reshapes the opportunities of the ground. Without factoring in change, we cannot use our knowledge of the battleground effectively. The same location in the winter is a very different place than it was in the summer. The same Ground can go through many different cycles of change.
<Govern> <war> <not> <know> <nine> <changes> <of> <technique>
Some military commanders do not know how to adjust their methods.
We can only manage competition correctly if we know the type of changes with which we are dealing. Though the Climate represents constant change, its changes fall into certain categories that can be foreseen, like the coming storm in the dark clouds on the horizon. An example that Jesus also used in the Bible. Another aspect of Hexagram Nine is that when the storm arrives, it brings new risks.
<Although> <know> <ground> <advantage>
They can find an advantageous position.
Knowing the ground and its climate, gives us the opportunity to create solid positions. During the chaos of a storm, solid positions can be overturned. We must be more careful during these times to avoid conflict. In periods of uncertainty, negotiations are much safer than a show of force. Charm will prove to be more appealing than coercion. There is still time to use these tools before the storm arrives.
<Not> <obtain> <men> <’s> <use> <will.>
Still, they cannot use their men effectively.
During a storm, we cannot expect the same responses from our allies, supporters, and even enemies. We must seek ways to use the coming changes to shape new relationships.