11. The Nine Situations
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If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: \"Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." #
Opinions differ as to what Sun Tzu had in mind. Ts`ao Kung thinks it is "some strategical advantage on which the enemy is depending." Tu Mu says: "The three things which an enemy is anxious to do, and on the accomplishment of which his success depends, are: (1) to capture our favorable positions; (2) to ravage our cultivated land; (3) to guard his own communications." Our object then must be to thwart his plans in these three directions and thus render him helpless. [Cf. III. ss. 3.] By boldly seizing the initiative in this way, you at once throw the other side on the defensive.
Comments (Leave a comment)
Jorgen Fors said:
Applying this passage to the general thinking used when planning e.g. a project makes sence: First you survey and measure "the ground" i.e the context of the project. Then you estimate, that is take educated guesses based on your surveys, to find out the numbers needed to do actual calculations. Then you calculate, based on your guesses. So, the first two terms would relate to evaluating the enemy, solely, while the third one deal with assessing what you've found in relation to your own army (or in the case of project management, your own assignment). #
Dec 19, 2007