This episode of After School is sponsored by Strawberry.me.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
It's comforting to believe that the world is all rainbows and butterflies, but the truth is enemies are out there lurking vengeful, manipulative and, at times, brutal.
It's painful to accept this fact, that dark forces exist who are hell-bent on seeing you fall.
Whether it be an oppressive government, a rival political party, an opposing sports team, a business competitor or just a nosy neighborhood Karen, there are times when we cannot remain passive and we must face an enemy.
This video will explain how to defeat your enemy using the timeless wisdom of Sun Tzu.
Sun Tzu was a 5th century BC war general credited with authoring the Chinese text Sun Zi Bing Fa, better known as the Art of War, which is recognized as the earliest known treatise on war.
Coined as the ancestor of all military books.
The Art of War was written as a manual for ancient Chinese warfare, yet its teachings are used to this very day by politicians generals, CEOs and pro-athletes.
There are many ways to defeat an enemy.
This video will examine three primary strategies, starting with the lowest form and ascending to the wisest.
Mark here, artist behind After School.
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Alright, back to Sun Tzu and destroying our enemies.
If you find yourself with an enemy at your doorstep, it is critical to take decisive action.
Strike hard, strike fast.
Sun Tzu said, speed is the essence of war.
The longer a battle endures, the more costly it becomes.
Sun Tzu said, there is no instance of a country having been benefited from prolonged warfare.
Therefore, if you are to engage an enemy, Sun Tzu says let your energy be likened to the bending of a crossbow and your decision to the releasing of the trigger.
Attack where he is weak, fall on him like a thunderbolt, and appear where you are not expected.
With rapid maneuvers and surprise attacks, Sun Tzu was able to defeat much larger forces in almost no time, while expending very little of his own resources.
His philosophy of strike hard, strike fast proved even more effective within his own military ranks.
If Sun Tzu detected dissent like laughter during a drill, he would strike like a thunderbolt, brutally and publicly punishing those who disobeyed his authority.
Needless to say, this resulted in strict obedience.
But Sun Tzu saw the use of force as a last resort.
Much better to win a battle without lifting a finger.
Sun Tzu says, The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting.
He captures their cities without laying siege to them.
He overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.
So how is this done?
How did Sun Tzu win wars without having to fight them?
The answer?
Psychological warfare.
Sun Tzu saw that wars were won long before blood was spilt and, in ideal cases, without any blood being spilled.
His primary tools were deception and sabotage.
One of Sun Tzu's most famous maxims was, Always pester your enemy.
Keep them guessing.
Never give them a break to rest.
Drain their spirit.
Appear weak where you are strong.
Appear strong where you are weak.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy.
Simulate disorder where you are ordered.
Conceal courage under a show of timidity.
When you are active, appear inactive.
Sun Tzu's true plans were always a mystery.
He was a master of stealth and manipulation.
Sun Tzu said O divine art of subtlety and secrecy.
Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible, and hence hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
Never show your cards, reveal as little information as possible, and the information you do reveal is revealed intentionally to deceive.
While Sun Tzu's opponents were playing checkers, he was playing 4D chess.
Sun Tzu would send out spies, called doomed spies, which he intentionally wanted to get captured by the enemy.
These doomed spies were fed false information.
The enemy would capture these spies, interrogate them and then act on false intelligence leading them right into Sun Tzu's traps.
This tactic is used in modern warfare, where militaries send coded transmissions of fake plans, with the code being designed to be cracked.
A quiet enemy is a dangerous one.
By misleading the enemy with false information, you can get them to respond and therefore uncover their strategy and expose their weakness.
But the most efficient way to sabotage your enemy is to let them self-sabotage.
It takes a great deal of energy to face an enemy head on, but seeing where they are moving astray and guiding them in that direction takes almost no energy.
Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.
This concept is hilariously illustrated in this clip from Season 2 of The Office.
When Dwight is trying to threaten Ryan, Ryan sees that Dwight's plan is foolish and will surely backfire, so he wisely does not resist and allows Dwight to carry out his mistakes.
Okay, I'm going to need to search your car.
Give me your keys.
I am not giving you my keys.
Don't make me do this the hard way.
What's the hard way?
I go down to the police station on my lunch break.
I tell a police officer what I suspect you may have in your car.
He requests a hearing from a judge and obtains a search warrant.
Once he has said warrant, he will drive over here and make you give him the keys to your car and you will have to obey him.
Yeah, let's do it that way.
This is one of the best ways to win a debate.
When your opponent is making a point, oftentimes the most convincing approach is not to combat their idea, but simply guide their argument in the wrong direction.
Allow them to contradict themselves, allow them to be exposed by their own words.
Influence their tactics to drive off a cliff.
When dealing with an enemy, it's always important to remember that the goal is not to see how much harm you can inflict on them.
The goal is to get what you want while doing the least amount of harm to yourself.
Make your desired outcome seem like the best option for everyone.
Sun Tzu says, give your enemy a golden bridge to retreat over.
Make their concession feel like a victory for them.
Oftentimes, battles prolong because of ego.
If you can appeal to your enemy's ego and make them feel good about the result you want, then ultimately you will get what you want and everyone will be happy.
This is how expert negotiators make deals.
So often it is emotion, not logic, that hinders an agreement from being made.
So instead, offer a graceful exit.
Give the other side a way to change course without admitting defeat.
Preserve their dignity.
People resist when cornered.
They accept when they feel respected and in control.
Sun Tzu made a point to always treat enemy soldiers he captured with the utmost kindness.
A strong loyal ally is far more valuable than a bitter rival.
Kindness is the ultimate killer.
Make the opponent's loss feel like a win for them.
It's also worth mentioning that we must choose our enemies wisely.
Sun Tzu said, He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
Your enemy will be in one of two states, fight or flight.
Do not engage if they are in fight mode.
This battle will be difficult and you might be outmatched.
Instead, force your enemy into flight mode.
This makes them vulnerable.
An enemy on the run is open to attack.
Sun Tzu says, even when you surround an army, leave an outlet free.
Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
An animal who feels cornered will fight to the death, but an animal on the move can be easy prey.
Lastly, the highest form of defeating your enemy is through preparation.
Sun Tzu said, plan for what is difficult while it is easy.
Act on the great while it is small.
Strangely enough, being absolutely ready for war is the best insurance to avoid war.
It is no noble deed to be harmless.
The noble man is supremely dangerous but voluntarily chooses to be peaceful.
Like the Japanese proverb attributed to legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.
One should always train and be ready for hardship so they are not caught unprepared if difficulties arise.
Preparation entails being radically honest with yourself about where your weaknesses lie.
Where are you open to attack?
What things need to be addressed that you've been ignoring?
These questions are simple, but few want to ask them, for the answers can be painful.
It forces us to confront the fact that we're our own worst enemy.
The qualities we despise in others are actually alive within us.
Much easier to point a finger and blame external factors than to integrate our own demons.
But Sun Tzu said if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
The balance of the universe is found in that our inner world is a reflection of the outer.
So if you suppress and neglect your own inner problems, then external enemies show up at your doorstep.
The greatest warriors knew this, which is why they prepared for war in times of peace.
Preparation reduces fear and increases competence.
With strong preparation, there is no need for deception, sabotage, or violence.
Preparation is how to defeat your enemy before they become your enemy.
This is the recipe for a peaceful life.
