The 33 Strategies of War: Images Flashcards
DECLARE WAR ON YOUR ENEMIES: THE POLARITY STRATEGY
The Earth.
The enemy is the ground beneath your feet. It has gravity that holds you in place, a force of resistance. Root yourself deep in this earth to gain firmness and strength. Without an enemy to walk upon, to trample, you lose your bearings and all sense of proportion.
DO NOT FIGHT THE LAST WAR: THE GUERRILLA WAR OF THE MIND STRATEGY
Water.
Adapting its shape to wherever it moves in the stream, pushing rocks out of its way, smoothing boulders, it never stops, is never the same. The faster it moves the clearer it gets.
AMIDST THE TURMOIL OF EVENTS, DO NOT LOSE YOUR PRESENCE OF MIND
The Wind.
The rush of unexpected events, and the doubts and criticims of those around you, are like a fierce wind at sea. It can come from any point of the compass, and there is no place to go to escape from it, no way to predict when and in what direction it will strike. To change direction with each gust of wind will only throw you out to sea. Good pilots do not waste time worrying about what they cannot control. They concentrate on themselves, the skill and steadiness of their hand, the course they have plotted, and their determination to reach port, come what may.
CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY AND DESPERATION: THE DEATH GROUND STRATEGY
Fire.
By itself it has no force; it depends on its environment. Give it air, dry timbers, a wind to fan the flames, and it gains a terrifying momentum, growing hotter, feeding off itself, consuming everything in its path. Never leave such power to chance.
AVOID THE SNARES OF GROUPTHINK
THE COMMAND-AND-CONTROL STRATEGY
The Reins.
A horse with no bridle is useless, but equally bad is the horse whose reins you pull at every turn, in a vain effort to control. Control comes from almost letting go, holding the reins so lightly that the horse feels no tug but senses the slightest change in tension and responds as you desire. Not everyone can master such an art.
SEGMENT YOUR FORCES
THE CONTROLLED-CHAOS STRATEGY
The Spider’s Web.
Most animals attack along a straight line; the spider weaves a web, adapated to its location and spun in a pattern, whether simple or complex. Once the web is woven, the work is done. The sider has no need to hunt; it simply waits for the next fool to fall into the web’s barely visible strands.
TRANSFORM YOUR WAR INTO A CRUSADE
MORALE STRATEGIES
The Ocean’s Tide.
It ebbs and flows so powerfully that no one in its path can escape its pull or move against it. Like the moon, you are the force that sets the tide, which carries everything along in its wake.
PICK YOUR BATTLES CAREFULLY
THE PERFECT ECONOMY STRATEGY
The Swimmer.
The water offers resistance; you can move only so fast. Some swimmers pound at the water, trying to use force to generate speed - but they only make waves, creating resistance in their path. Others are too delicate, kicking so lightly they barely move. Consumate swimmers hit the surface with perfect economy, keeping the water in front of them smooth and level. They move as fast as the water will let them and cover great distances at a steady pace.
TURN THE TABLES
THE COUNTERATTACK STRATEGY
The Bull.
It is large, its stare is intimidating, and its horns can pierce your flesh. Attacking it and trying to escape it are equally fatal. Instead stand your ground and let the bull charge your cape, giving it nothing to hit, making its horns useless. Get it angry and irritated - the harder and more furiously it charges, the faster it wears itself down. A point will come when you can turn the game around and go to work, carving up the once ferocious beast.
CREATE A THREATENING PRESENCE
DETERRENCE STRATEGIES
The Porcupine.
It seems rather stupid and slow, easy prey, but when it is threatened or attacked, its quills stand erect. If touched, they come out easily in your flesh, and trying to extract them make their hooked ends go deeper and deeper, causing still more damge. Those who have fought with a porcupine learn never to repeat the experience. Even without fighitng it, most people know to avoid it and leave it in peace.
TRADE SPACE FOR TIME: THE NONENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
The Desert Sands.
In the desert there is nothing to feed on and nothing to use for war: just sand and empty space. Retreat to the desert occasionally, to think and see with clarity. Time moves slowly there, which is what you need. When under attack, fall back into the desert, luring your enemies into a place where they lose all sense of time and space and fall under your control.
LOSE BATTLES BUT WIN THE WAR: GRAND STRATEGY
The Mountaintop.
Down on the battlefield, everything is smoke and confusion. It is hard to tell friend from foe, to see who is winning, to foresee the enemy’s next move. The general must climb high above the fray, to the mountaintop, where everything becomes clearer and more in focus. There he can see beyond the battlefield - the movements of reserves, to the enemy camp, to the battle’s future shape. Only from the mountaintop can the general direct the war.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY: THE INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY
The Shadow.
Everyone has a shadow, a secret self, a dark side. This shadow comprises everything people try to hide from the world—their weaknesses, secret desires, selfish intentions. This shadow is invisible from a distance; to see it you must get up close, physically and most of all psychologically. Then it will come into relief. Follow close in your target’s footsteps and he will not notice how much of his shadow he has revealed.
OVERWHELM RESISTANCE WITH SPEED AND SUDDENNESS: THE BLITZKRIEG STRATEGY
The Storm.
The sky becomes still and calm, and a lull sets in, peaceful and soothing. Then, out of nowhere, lightning strikes, the wind picks up…and the sky explodes. It is the suddenness of the storm that is so terrifying.
CONTROL THE DYNAMIC: FORCING STRATEGIES
The Boxer.
The superior fighter does not rely on his powerful punch or quick reflexes. Instead he creates a rhythm to the fight that suits him, advancing and retreating at a pace he sets; he controls the ring, moving his opponent to the center, to the ropes, toward or away from him. Master of time and space, he creates frustration, compels mistakes, and engenders a mental collapse that precedes the physical. He wins not with his fists but by controlling the ring.
