Skip to main content

Deception is about Resolving Problems with No War

Sun Tzu in the Art of War followed what Han Feizi said, "In war, there is no limit to deception" and said, "All War is about deception". 

Indeed many people view deception as a low level and unscrupulous way to win.  They say that only dishonest people will deceive.  Is this true?

If you were to read the Art of War carefully, you will realise that Sun Tzu advocates no war, and he preaches that war is expensive, and we should resolve problems through winning with no war.  How to win with no war?  It is to let the opponent know that he should not fight with you, for you are much stronger.  Isn't this deception?  

Also, Sun Tzu said in the first chapter that the 5 elements are important. Among the 5 elements, Dao or Purpose is paramount.  Our purpose of deception is NOT to deceive the opponent to win over him but to not let him know our true situation.  In this way, we can avoid war.  There are six common ways to not people know our true situation: 
  1. When strong, appear weak; when weak appear strong.  
  2. To beat your competitor, you must first deceive them about the true nature of your plans.  If they do not know where you will attack next, they will be confused and unable to respond effectively
  3. When capable, feign incapacity; when incapable, pretend strong
  4. When active, feign inactivity; when inactive, act busy
  5. When near, appear far; when far, look near
  6. Offer a bait to lure your enemy, feign disorder and strike while he is weak
Other purposes of deception:
  1. Waste your competitor's resources, so that he cannot fight with you
  2. Buy you time while you are preparing to fight
  3. Gives your team members confidence about your strength.  This is important as moral is paramount in war. 
In summary, deception gives you the advantage in war.  Business is war.  Our goal is to defeat the enemy with dignity and integrity, and the best is to win without fighting.  We never cheat or go low in our morals, instead of lying, we use deception as stated above.  Happy deceiving!  Note: Andy Ng is a Trainer Coach in the Art of War Application.  His most popular Sun Tzu courses include Sun Tzu Sales, Leadership with Art of War and 36 Stratagems with Sun Tzu. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kindness as a Way of Life: How Kindness can Reward You 6 Times Over

Kindness as a Way of Life by Andy Ng Kindness is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries, enriches human connections, and has the power to transform lives. It goes beyond mere acts of charity or random good deeds. To me, kindness, when practiced as a way of life, becomes a profound philosophy that can shape our interactions with others, the world around us, and even our own well-being. In this article, we will explore the multifaceted aspects of kindness as a way of life, touching on non-violent communication, the limitations of traditional charity, the potential harms of helping, the deliberate cultivation of kindness, and the incredible rewards it brings. 1.       Non-Violent Communication Non-violent communication (NVC) is a key component of practicing kindness as a way of life. Developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, NVC emphasizes empathetic communication that seeks to understand and connect with others on a deeper level. It encourages active listening, empath
1 comment
Read more

New Age Mobile Numerology

Many people look at 'mobile number change luck' with skepticism, they say, how can just one simple mobile number change create so many changes in a person's life?   Also, the mobile numbers are given to us by random by the telcos, how can our fate be assigned by the telcos at random? Besides, isn't it true that our lives and fates are determined by birth and what we do, how can a small mobile number, which is a modern invention, have any effect?  How about people in the past without mobile numbers?  You mean they don't have a life without mobile numbers, right? One more thing: you cannot just change your mobile number and expect your life to change. If this is so, wouldn't everybody be rich just by changing their mobile numbers? Finally, isn't this kind of fortune-telling thing more of psychology and blind faith than science?   If so, how can we trust anything that is not proven and not science? Today let's resolve all these doubts and I welcome your co
3 comments
Read more

If Not You, Who Else?

I learnt this very powerful 5-word phrase from Singapore's highest ever box-office movie ever: "Ah Boys to Men II". In one scene, the recruits were about to start their 3-day field camp.  Their Officer-in-Command asked them, "Before we moved out, anybody not feeling well?"  All the soldiers replied loudly, "No Sir!!!" "Gentlemen", continued the Officer, "Every time the training gets tougher, one thought comes to your mind, 'Why Must I Serve National Service?' "My answer to you is, 'If Not You, Then Who Else?'" Wow!  What a powerful phrase!  If Not You, Who Else may mean: You are the most suitable person, and we can't find anyone better than you.  This is appreciation at the highest level How can you push this responsibility to someone else? I am making a request to you specifically, please don't reject my request Can you find me another person more suitable than you? Please refer me anot
Post a Comment
Read more