On Advantages

• Learn to put yourself in an advantageous position over others.
  • Do not engage an enemy that is uphill.
  • Do not engage an enemy that is upstream.
• Learn to hide your advantages ¹. When strong, appear weak. When disciplined, appear disorderly. When courageous, appear fearful². In doing so, the enemy is kept on the move. Conversely, scout the enemy for their advantages ³. Seek to surprise the enemy and undermine their plans.
• Demoralize the enemy “Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting” ⁴. This can come through deception. intimidation or making them feel desperate ⁵⁶. Learn to psychologically manipulate the enemy
  • Be mindful of desperation. Give the enemy some false hope. ⁷ Do not let the enemy realize that all hope is lost as this comes with the realization they will not have anything to lose.
  • Target something of value for the enemy ⁸⁹. This may also rouse emotions from the enemy and cause them to make mistakes.
• Use the sentiments of your subordinates to your advantage. Use hatred and negative emotions towards the enemy to your advantage¹⁰. Momentum is a powerful tool ¹¹¹² Conversely, keep a positive image by being in the “moral right”.
  • In desperate times, Use desperation to your advantage ¹³. Desperation can come subtly in your men prefer to advance and get harmed over having to retreat. ¹⁴.
• Secure yourself. Seek an advantage yet keep in mind that unless the enemy is crushed, there is little room for complacency ¹⁵. Conversely, undermine the enemy’s defenses. Exploit mistakes made by the enemy ¹⁶.
• Take the initiative to fight on your own terms . It is better to be the earliest and the most well-prepared than the one who is being rushed and on the defense ¹⁷. This also means luring an enemy away from positions of advantage ¹⁸
• Avoid the strong and strike the weakest. In such a way, effort is more meaningful ¹⁹ and not drawn out. Conversely, secure the weakest points as much as possible, but concentrate on only the weakest points. Remember you only have limited resources.
  • Divide and Conquer. Break the enemy’s orderly structures. This will cause the enemy to panic ²⁰²¹ and be much easier to pick off.
  • Attack while the enemy is distracted²². When starting a disruption, wait for the enemy to be fully disrupted before striking. Make sure that this disruption method will also not harm you, and prefer to do this disruption from outside.
• Do not fall for traps As much as attacking the weakest point is beneficial, make sure you have a way out ²³. This also includes the converse of preceding advice. Do not assume the enemy a fool.
• Look for patterns ²⁴. Often, patterns reveal something about the enemy. Conversely, make yourself unpredictable. Strike at places where the enemy has their guard down ²⁵.
  • An enemy that seems to not be advancing might be scheming something ²⁶
  • An enemy that is provocative is trying to get you to make mistakes ²⁷
  • An enemy that seems too relaxed it is potentially a trap ²⁸,
  • Indirectly scout for the enemy’s activity by looking at the effects of this activvity on the environment.
  • Conversely, become unpredictable, possibly through deceiving your own and changing your plans suddenly ²⁹
• Do not lose an advantage by being too greedy. Be surgical and do not expend wasted effort or rouse the enemy further ³⁰.
• Consider the natural advantages present in the environment itself. Conversely, realize how these may be used against you.

Links §

• The Art of War

Footnotes §

1. 1.18 ↩

2. 5.17 ↩

3. 6.22 ↩

4. 3.2 ↩

5. 6.3 ↩

6. 6.23 ↩

7. 3.36 ↩

8. 11.18 ↩

9. 11.66 ↩

10. 3.16 ↩

11. 4.20 ↩

12. 5.15 ↩

13. 9.23 ↩

14. 11.58 ↩

15. 4.1 ↩

16. 11.65 ↩

17. 6.1 ↩

18. 6.11 ↩

19. 6.30 ↩

20. 11.15 ↩

21. 11.16 ↩

22. 12.6 - 12.10 ↩

23. 6.10 ↩

24. 6.34 ↩

25. 7.29 ↩

26. 9.18 ↩

27. 9.19 ↩

28. 9.20 ↩

29. 11.35 - 11.38 ↩

30. 8.3 ↩