How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Need for Strengthening Domestic and External Issues

Disciplines > Warfare > Wu Zi's Art of War > Need for Strengthening Domestic and External Issues

Chapter | Observed lessons | Discussion | See also

Chapter

First part : 1 : 1

Observed lessons

• From visible facts you can deduce what is hidden.
• From the past, much of the future may be learned.
• Beauty is not utility. Splendid-looking weapons and machines may be useless on the battlefield.
• In peace, thoughts of war dispel and preparations forgotten. Yet when war arrives, we wish we were more prepared.

Discussion

Knowledge comes from study and intelligence, study and true facts. Skill comes from practice. You win a war not by appearances but with skill and effective weaponry. Grand marches and show do not indicate real military ability. Soldiers who have not been battle-hardened are not yet at their full strength.

Few people like war, especially when enjoying the fruits and comforts of bountiful and peaceful times. When all seems good, it seems a waste to spend on military development. Much better, it seems, to spend one's money on more immediate pleasures. Yet war is eternal. Always there are countries and groups who wish to expand or spread ideologies. If you wish for war, then encouraging a long peace can hence weaken a future enemy.

The same is true in business. When times are good, people get soft and forget how to compete. This gives scope for a new, aggressive competitor to appear and defeat a much bigger incumbent.

See also

Learning

http://www.chinese-wiki.com/Wu_Zi_Art_of_War