The Art of War

“The art of war is to win without bloodshed or the use of force. The minimum necessary use of violence.”

33 Strategies of War (by Robert Green)

Reference: [illacertus Self-Directed, Organizational (Team) & Defensive Warfare - The 33 Strategies of War (Animated)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGnJ8ORRAzA)

Part 1

  1. Declare War on Your Enemies
    • Know yourself
    • “You cannot swing a sword not knowing what to hit with it”
  2. Do not fight the last war
    • Change tactics and keep you your enemies guessing
    • Ever changing, ever evolving
  3. Amidst the Turmoil of Events do not lose your presence of mind.
    • See the battlefield for what it is.
    • Do not panic.
  4. Create a sense of urgency ad desperation
    • Once you come in face of death you eliminate life’s non-essentials.
    • You are never fully prepared to start
    • To Fui Ego Eris – A you are I was. I am you will be. (Death is unavoidable)

Part 2 Organizational Team Warfare

  1. Avoid The snare of group think
    • You want to have a chain of command you can rely on.
    • You cannot have your head everywhere.
    • Put remote systems and loyal leaders into place that will guarantee the desired outcome and ensure that they always keep you up to date. Be careful not to give up too much of your authority and leverage.
      • Create a codex/belief system
  2. Segment your forces
    • Know when to unite and when to divide
    • Slow and strong or fast and precise
  3. Transform your war into a crusade
    • Managing men well means
      • Leading by example
      • Use effects of emotion to show that you are fighting for a noble cause
      • Unity
      • Collective achievement of mission ahead
      • Discipline: Punish and reward behavior accordingly
      • Shared history
      • No Kool-aid: get rid of black sheep that disrupt your leadership

Part 3: Defensive warfare

  1. Pick your battles
    • “You will never reach your destination if you stop & throw stones at every dog that barks.” – Windton Curchill
    • Control your ego and ignore the insignificant rest
    • Some battles you cannot win (never start them in the first place)
    • Some battles you can win but at too high a cost
      • Pyrrhic Victory: a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat
      • Make your battles worth your time and resources. Your energy is limited so don’t waste it.
  2. Turn the tables.
    • In history defenders usually win. Stay calm and wait for the right opportunity.
  3. Create a threatening presence
    • Plant a seed of doubt in your opponents mind and feed his paranoia
      • Make them believe they cannot win and they will retreat. But, be careful because they may call your bluff if you are unwilling to back up your words with action. Don’t mearly bark.
  4. Trade space for time
    • Don’t fight when you’re not ready. Retreat, gather support, and attack when you’re strong.
    • “Space we can recover, time never.” Napoleon bonepart
    • Grant your opponent a small win to take up more space, grow leverage and weaken your enemy before battle.
    • The advantage determines the end result
  5. Lose the Battles but win the war
    • Think several moves ahead. Determine the bulls eye. Plan to the end and confuse your enemy leaving them unable to read your actions since they don’t seem to have a connection.
  6. Know your enemy
    • Master non verbal communication
    • Hide your observations and devise the most effective tactics based on your insights
  7. Overwhelm Resistance with speed and suddenness
    • Set slow moves for your opponent to adjust to then change up the space and catch them off guard.
  8. Control the dynamic
    • Join the front line to reduce the gap between events and status updates. Your in control be assertive.
  9. Hit them where it hurts
    • Kill vital supply lines. Find the source. Beliefs etc
  10. Defeat them in detail, divide and conquer
    • Divide large units and attack parts
  11. Expose and Attack your enemy’s soft flank
    • Bait then expose enemy’s flank
    • Expose vulnerability
  12. Envelop the enemy
    • Make them feel trap
  13. Maneuver them into weakness
    • Outsmart them put them at a disadvantage
  14. Negotiate while advancing
    • Be willing to come to a win win situation but:
      • Focus on organization’s progress
      • Avoid immediate conflict while furthering your interest
  15. Know how to end things
    • Exit strategy.
    • Let fresh wounds heal. Thank enemy and express hopes for future collaboration. So humility in victory its in best interest that everyone accepts the outcomes to terms with it and moves on.

Journal