Daily Reflection 3.03.21
Mar. 3rd, 2021 08:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
readoldthingsSun Tzu tells us:
Some of this is material that we've seen before, and I don't want to be repetitive. All of this advice boils down to: Attack the enemy where he is weak, and make him attack you where you are strong.
One thing I discussed a while back that I want to bring up again is the 80/20 rule. This is a rule, applicable to many human affairs, that suggests that things will break down into an 80% and a 20%. My favorite example comes from the publishing world. Apparently 80% of books published in a given year are nonfiction, but 80% of aspiring writers want to be fiction writers. That means that 80% of writers are, at any given time, chasing 20% of the book contracts. If your goal is to write, then, it's very worth considering becoming part of the 20% of writers chasing the 80% of the book contracts.
This same rule can be found in so many areas it's best simply to assume that it's the case. What this means in Sun Tzu's terms is that the 20% that everyone is after is the enemy's strong point. In order to attack the Enemy's weak point, what you want is to be part of the 20% who are chasing the 80%.
...Or maybe you don't. This is where self-knowledge comes in. If 80% of the men are chasing 20% of the women, do you want to be part of that 80%? If so, why? Is it just because that's what your culture taught you? Maybe that's the case, and if so, maybe you can let it go.
But what if it's not? What if you really do want what the rest of the 80% wants? Can you achieve it?
Of course. The best job, the best girl, and the best house all go to somebody. But how?
In order to attain a seemingly difficult goal, we can still rely on all of our rules here in Chapter 6, what Sun Tzu calls "the science of weak points and strong."
For any given goal, we can look at Sun Tzu's tactics, given above, and ask how we might employ them. If you want a job or a date, how can you hold out baits so that your target comes to you? In dating, this often looks like playing "hard to get," which may be unethical, but it's been around forever because it works. And it works because people want someone who is part of the 20%, not the 80%: if that's not you, think about coming up with ways to give the impression that it is. Before long it will be.
The same tactics are used in marketing. Have you ever been part of a class or program that had a wait list with openings only once every 3 months or so? It may have been a great class, but that was a marketing strategy. I used to send out marketing emails for a school of massage and bodywork. Whenever we had a clinic with a lot of open spaces that we needed to fill, I would send out an email to our list that read something like "We have JUST TWO REMAINING SLOTS in our clinic tonight!" It always worked.
The great question, though, is: How can we apply these ideas to the battle within?
By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.
If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not.
You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not.
You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
Some of this is material that we've seen before, and I don't want to be repetitive. All of this advice boils down to: Attack the enemy where he is weak, and make him attack you where you are strong.
One thing I discussed a while back that I want to bring up again is the 80/20 rule. This is a rule, applicable to many human affairs, that suggests that things will break down into an 80% and a 20%. My favorite example comes from the publishing world. Apparently 80% of books published in a given year are nonfiction, but 80% of aspiring writers want to be fiction writers. That means that 80% of writers are, at any given time, chasing 20% of the book contracts. If your goal is to write, then, it's very worth considering becoming part of the 20% of writers chasing the 80% of the book contracts.
This same rule can be found in so many areas it's best simply to assume that it's the case. What this means in Sun Tzu's terms is that the 20% that everyone is after is the enemy's strong point. In order to attack the Enemy's weak point, what you want is to be part of the 20% who are chasing the 80%.
...Or maybe you don't. This is where self-knowledge comes in. If 80% of the men are chasing 20% of the women, do you want to be part of that 80%? If so, why? Is it just because that's what your culture taught you? Maybe that's the case, and if so, maybe you can let it go.
But what if it's not? What if you really do want what the rest of the 80% wants? Can you achieve it?
Of course. The best job, the best girl, and the best house all go to somebody. But how?
In order to attain a seemingly difficult goal, we can still rely on all of our rules here in Chapter 6, what Sun Tzu calls "the science of weak points and strong."
For any given goal, we can look at Sun Tzu's tactics, given above, and ask how we might employ them. If you want a job or a date, how can you hold out baits so that your target comes to you? In dating, this often looks like playing "hard to get," which may be unethical, but it's been around forever because it works. And it works because people want someone who is part of the 20%, not the 80%: if that's not you, think about coming up with ways to give the impression that it is. Before long it will be.
The same tactics are used in marketing. Have you ever been part of a class or program that had a wait list with openings only once every 3 months or so? It may have been a great class, but that was a marketing strategy. I used to send out marketing emails for a school of massage and bodywork. Whenever we had a clinic with a lot of open spaces that we needed to fill, I would send out an email to our list that read something like "We have JUST TWO REMAINING SLOTS in our clinic tonight!" It always worked.
The great question, though, is: How can we apply these ideas to the battle within?
no subject
Date: 2021-03-03 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-03 10:29 pm (UTC)Other than simple awareness, do you have any particular methods of keeping death at the forefront of your consciousness?
no subject
Date: 2021-03-04 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-04 03:53 pm (UTC)