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The 33 Strategies of War

The Big Idea

It has been a customary perception that peace-loving people triumph more in life.  Few realize that this is the very idea that acts as a barrier to realizing and identifying indispensable provisions to thrive in the challenges of day-to-day living.

Day after day, you will be faced with numerous conflicts that demand the need to engage in constant struggle or battle.  Bestselling author Robert Greene shares 33 effective strategies of war to guide you through the realistic battlefield called life. 

 

Self-Directed Warfare

The mind indeed is so powerful that it can propel anything to action.    A mind that is too emotional and clouded by past resentments may not see the world clearly and generate inappropriate strategies.

 1 - Declare War On Your Enemies: The Polarity Strategy

Struggle is indeed an inevitable part of life.  Enemies come everywhere, sometimes explicitly but more often than not, subtly.  It is important that you recognize these enemies and from there, start strategizing.

Yet again, everything starts from within.  You should face the world with an open anticipation of this battle.  It is your responsibility to program yourself to be in battle mode most of the time.  Otherwise, you may easily be overpowered and end up a loser.

Discovering that you have too many enemies may entice you towards the safer side; which is to act in accordance to the enemies’ ways and be one of them.  You should prevent this from happening or else, you will lose your identity. 

A magnet best demonstrates the polarity strategy.  Opposite poles create movement.  Consider your enemies as your opposites.  Without enemies, you might lose your drive to go on with life.
 

2 - Do Not Fight The Last War: The Guerilla-War-Of-The-Mind Strategy

Some people linger so much on the successes of the past, thinking that any change will hamper luck’s persistence.  There is nothing wrong in celebrating past achievements.  However, having a notion that previously effective strategies are perpetually the best is not at all beneficial. 

A mind that is locked up in the past gets a blurred version of reality.  The past may be a good teacher but it should not be the focus and sole basis of all your thoughts and actions.  Move forward and get hooked by present endeavors and their conditions.  

Holding on so much to past successes and resentments may indeed cause the mind to languish somewhere along the way.  To restore the mind’s natural course forward, here are some tactics that you can employ:

1. Reexamine all your cherished beliefs and principles.  Get out of your paradigms and think out of the box based on the present. 
2. Erase the memory of the last war.  Whether it was a triumph or a failure, make each war a fresh new start.
3. Keep the mind moving.  Be as sensitive as you can to what the current circumstance has to offer and work your way around it.
4. Absorb the spirit of the times.  Adapt to the demands of the present.  Strategize based on current state of affairs, not on theories of the past. 
5. Reverse course.  In certain transactions, actions and reactions may be very predictable.  Get out of the trend and be more innovative.

3 - Amidst The Turmoil of Events, Do Not Lose Your Presence of Mind: The Counterbalance Strategy

At war, you are not expected to be cautious.  Too much carefulness is a manifestation of fear.  Do not be afraid to commit mistakes or to take risks.  Fear will only hinder you from moving forward. 

Remember that presence of mind is an essential armor.   It counters your tendency to drift away from the conflict and go back to the comfort zone.  It boosts your confidence and gives you assurance that you can successfully tackle all your encounters and recuperate from your mistakes.  It positively overpowers doubt as it fills you with determination and drive.

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