Today I come with a summary of The Art of War, book Of the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu that can have a great influence in your life by its great teachings.
If you have not been informed before this book, you may think that it focuses only on military life, however, it really focuses more on a philosophy than to follow to solve problems and avoid confrontations.
Although 2,500 years have passed since it was written, its principles can be applied to the military, political (although in this case it seems to apply very poorly), business and individual.
In fact, apart from senior military commands, it is often read by company managers, as it helps to understand the principles of human behavior, to lead them better and to establish business strategies and tactics.
In my opinion, not all advice can be applied to each area (except the military) and also depend on the interpretation of the teaching that you decide to give.
It is true that some expressions are difficult to understand and interpret, although many can be perfectly applied.
Now, you're wondering, how can I interpret for my life or company a military book? For me, it would simply be necessary to change some terms for others:
-General / leader: yourself or a boss.
-Guerra: life or business competition.
- Military strategy: business strategy.
- Men / army / soldiers: your followers / collaborators / employees.
- State resources: personal resources (economic, social, personal, business resources.
-Enemy: other people who follow your same goals, company of the competition.
-Cities / Countries: the company.
And please, do not take seriously the advice to kill the enemy or defeat the army. That can be translated into our time to"win, take you the prize, overtake the competition..."
Undoubtedly, it is one of the most widely read books in history, from people to the most powerful and historically influential such as Napoleon, Churchill, Bill Gates or Machiavelli.
As for the chapters, they are 13 and in each version they give names different from the titles, although the content is the same. For example, in the version I read, they are different from those that name in wikipedia.
I start with the summary, it will be broad, although my intention is that you can stay with the fundamental ideas that the author transmits.
And what do you think of the book? What teachings have you given to you?
Summary by chapters
1. PREPARATION PLANS
The art of war, then, is governed by five immutable factors... These are: moral principles; Heaven; The earth; Commander; Method and discipline. These five guidelines should be familiar to every general: The one who knows them will be victorious; He who does not know them will fail.
While managing the benefit of my advice, take advantage of any useful circumstances beyond ordinary rules as well. As circumstances are favorable, one must modify their plans. All the art of war is based on deception. C When we can attack, we have to appear incapable; When we use our forces, we have to appear inactive; When we are near, we must make the enemy believe that we are in the distance; When far away, we have to make him believe that we are next.
The general who wins a battle does many calculations in his temple before the din of battle. The general who loses a battle makes only a few calculations beforehand.
2. MAKING WAR
There is no reference from any country that has benefited from protracted wars. Only someone who gets to know the evils of war in depth can understand in depth the helpful way of continuing it.
Use the conquered adversary to increase one's own strength. In war, then, let your great goal be victory, not long campaigns.
Therefore the skilled leader subjugates the enemy troops without any fight; Seize their cities without besieging them; Overthrows his kingdom without elongated operations in the field.
So it must be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the fate of the people, the man on whom it depends that the nation is at peace or in danger.
3. TRAFFIC ATTACK
To fight and to conquer in all your battles is not the supreme excellence; Supreme excellence consists in breaking the resistance of the enemy without fighting.
The rule is, do not besiege walled cities if you can avoid it.
The general is the bulwark of the state; If the bulwark is complete in all its points, the state will be strong; If the bulwark is defective, the state will be weak.
There are five essential points to victory: Whoever knows when to fight and when not to win will win. The one who knows how to handle both upper and lower forces will win. The one whose army is animated by the same spirit will win over all ranks. The one who, having prepared himself, will wait to take the enemy who is indisposed. The one who has military capability will not win and will not be interfered with by the sovereign.
If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you do not have to fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory achieved you will suffer defeat as well. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb to every battle.
4. TACTICAL PRECEPTS
Ensuring defeat is in our hands, but the opportunity to defeat the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
What the ancients called an intelligent fighter is the one who not only wins, but stands out for winning with ease. He wins his battles thanks to not making mistakes. Not making mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, since it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
So in war the victorious strategist only pursues the battle after reaching victory, while the one who is destined to lose first fights and then seeks victory.
5. POWER
The control of an enormous force has the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a matter of dividing them into groups.
In any fight, the direct method can be used to take part in the battle, but the indirect methods will be necessary to assure the victory.
The good fighter will be formidable in his set-up, and ready in his decision.
The intelligent combatant resorts to the effect of combined powers, and does not require much of the individual. Hence his ability to choose the right men and use combined powers.
6. FLAT AND STRONG POINTS
He who arrives first on the battlefield and awaits the arrival of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; He who arrives second to the battlefield and has to rush to battle will come exhausted.
The intelligent combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the will of the enemy to be imposed.
He is skillful in attack the general whose opponent does not know what to defend; And is skillful in defense the one whose opponent does not know what to attack.
You can advance and be absolutely impenetrable, if you go towards the weak points of the enemy; You can withdraw and be safe from persecution if your movements are faster than those of the enemy.
Compare the opposing army carefully with your own, so that you can know where there is a surplus of strength and where it is lacking.
Every man can see the tactics by which he conquered, but what no one can see is the strategy from which victory takes place.
Just as water does not have a definite form, in war there are no permanent circumstances. The one who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thus to be successful in winning, can be called captain born to him of the sky.
7. MANIOBRANDO
We are not qualified to lead an army marching unless we are familiar with the relief of the region, its mountains and forests, its rocks and cliffs, its marshes and marshes.
In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed.
The crowd thus forms a single united body, it is impossible even for the brave to advance alone, or for the coward to retire alone. This is the art of handling huge masses of men.
Do not bite the hook offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army returning home.
8. TACTICAL VARIANTS
There are paths that must not be followed, armies that must not be attacked, cities that must be besieged, positions that should not be disputed, orders of the sovereign that should not be obeyed.
There are five dangerous faults that can affect a general: reckless recklessness, leading to destruction; Cowardice, which leads to capture; A precipitate temperament, which can be provoked by insults; Questionable honor that is sensitive to shame; Be overly solicitous with his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.
9. THE ARMY IN PROGRESS
Humble words and greater preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language and impulse-taking as if to attack are signs that he will retreat.
Therefore soldiers have to be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of an iron discipline. This is a sure path to victory.
10. TERRAIN
An army is exposed to six different calamities, which do not arise from natural causes, but from faults of which the general is responsible. These are: flight; insubordination; collapse; ruin; disorganization; annihilation.
When the private soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the rank and file too weak, the result is collapse.
The ability to evaluate the adversary, control the forces of victory, and sagaciously calculate difficulties, dangers and distances, is the test of a great general.
Consider your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you through the deepest valleys; Take care of them as your own beloved children, and they will go with you even to death.
However, if you are indulgent, but unable to make yourself feel your authority; Good-hearted, but incapable of imposing your commands; And incapable, in addition, of suffocating the disorder: then your soldiers are comparable to children evicted; Are useless for any practical purpose.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not be doubted; If you know the sky and the Earth, you can make your final victory.
11. THE NINE SITUATIONS
If I am asked how to deal with a large crowd of enemies in orderly formation and about to attack, I must say: Begin by taking advantage of something that your opponent gives much importance to; Then he will be susceptible to your will.
Speed is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's indisposition, break through unexpected routes and attack unprotected sites.
When the soldiers are in big trouble they lose the feeling of fear. If there is no place for the shelter, they will stand firm. If they are in a hostile country, they will present a resolved front. If there is no help for him, they will fight hard.
The principle with which an army is run is to provide a standard of value that everyone has to achieve.
We can not establish alliances with neighboring princes until we are aware of their designs. We are not adequate to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the relief of the region: its mountains and forests, its precipices, its marshes, and marshes.
For it is precisely when a force has fallen on the path of pain that it is capable of striking victory.
Display the timidity of a maiden, until the enemy gives you a chance; Then emulates the speed of a hare running, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you.
12. THE ATTACK BY FIRE
Sad is the future of one who tries to win his battles and thrive in his attacks, without cultivating the spirit of the campaign; Because the result is loss of time and general stagnation.
The enlightened leader makes his plans thinking about the future; The good general cultivates his resources.
Do not move unless you see an advantage; Do not use your troops unless there is something to gain; Do not fight unless the position is critical.
No leader should put troops in the field simply to unleash his own anger; No general should fight a battle for mere revenge.
If it is to excel, make a move forward; If not, stay where you are.
13. THE USE OF SPIES
What makes the wisdom of the sovereign and the good general incapable of striking and conquering, and of getting things beyond the reach of vulgar men, is prediction.
Knowledge of enemy dispositions can only be obtained from other men.
There is no one in the whole army with whom one should have more intimate relations than with the spies. No one should be rewarded more freely. In no other matter should more secrecy be preserved.
The spies of the enemy who have come to spy on us have to be sought, tempted with bribes, taken apart and comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted spies and available for our service.