Art of War discussions #1

Sun Tzu says,
All warfare is based on deception.
when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive;
when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when we are far, we must make them believe we are near.


How useful are Sun Tzu's words in our world today? Will it work?

Let’s spend a few moments to think about this. Is this strategy applicable to other extensions of warfare such as a race, a contest, a competition, a combat or a match?

In a 100 meter race, can you win the race by playing tricks to others? Have you ever seen athletes run like wild boars at the sound of the gun? Everyone is so focused on the finishing line and does not pay attention to anyone else. How are you going to deceive others if they are not really interested in how you behave? You’ll just be wasting your chances trying to make deception work.

Like everything else, there are always conditions or constraints where a theory or proposition might not be applicable...loop holes.

Two deductions.

Sun Tzu's deception theory won't work in an intense and combative competition. Why? Because there is no time for any kinds of mind games. Either you have what it takes to win or you haven't. The one and only one way to win the competition is to focus, focus and focus….

By the same token, one way not to let anybody's tricks affect you is, again, to focus on what you are doing. If you are not 100 percent focused, your brains are susceptible to false signals and that would affect your concentration.

Bottom line is: Focus is a key strategy to win.