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Title : 33 Strategies of War
Publisher: Viking, Penguin Group
Author: Robert Greene
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 0-670-03457-6
Pages: 496

Robert Greene
Table of Contents
 

About the Author

Robert Greene was born in Los Angeles in 1959. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He has worked in New York City as an editor and writer for several magazines, including Esquire, and in Hollywood as a story developer and writer. He lived for years in London, England; Paris, France; and Barcelona, Spain; he speaks several languages and has worked as a translator. Greene’s books include The 48 Laws of Power, The Death and Life of Philosophy, The Art of Seduction and 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


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


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. Re-examine 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.
4 - Create A Sense of Urgency and Desperation: The Death-Ground Strategy

Below are five actions that can easily put you on psychological death ground:

1. Stake everything on a single throw. This gives no room for failure as there is simply too much at stake.
2. Act before you are ready. Push yourself to move forward and take advantage of the pressure that you encounter once you are there.
3. Enter new waters. Get out of your comfort zone and be challenged.
4. Make it “you against the world”. Always think that you are putting your entire person at stake. Deprive your enemies the opportunity to celebrate your failure.
5. Keep yourself restless and unsatisfied. Get out of complacency. Constantly challenge yourself. Bring yourself to death ground always.
Organizational (Team) Warfare


The subsequent strategies emphasize the need to understand a team as a whole as well as its composition. A clear perception not only will pave the way for changes but will also identify better strategies to attain the team's purpose.

5 - Avoid The Snares of Groupthink: The Command-And-Control Strategy


Since an organization is composed of different people with varied personalities, intentions, and goals, it is important that you, as a leader, are aware of the strengths and weakness of your people. This will tell you how to approach each part of the
chain of command to get them more involved.

6 - Segment Your Forces: The Controlled-Chaos Strategy

Everything transpires quickly at war. You are not given the luxury of time. You have to make decisions and act before the enemy does. Conversely, with the progression of time, more and more information becomes available. This further contributes to the complexity of decision-making.
7 - Transform Your War Into A Crusade: Morale Strategies

It is man's natural tendency to protect his own interests to survive. Thus, even in an organization, members may have their own goals and intentions. It is your responsibility, as a leader, to encourage them to put aside their individual concerns
and crusade altogether against a certain enemy. Instill in them that only by working wholly can everyone turn out victorious.
Defensive Warfare

When using defensive warfare, you attack only when necessary. You also capitalize on the enemy's confusion as it instigates unwise attacks working to your advantage.

8 - Pick Your Battles Carefully: The Perfect-Economy Strategy

All human beings have certain strengths and, at the same time, weaknesses. At some point, you will have limitations. Realistically, you cannot tackle everything. Thus, it is important that you balance the costs and benefits of any situation before plunging into it.

  
9 - Turn The Tables: The Counterattack Strategy


Warriors often take into consideration only two options: to fight offensively or defensively. Offensive attacks immediately create an enemy and may result in reckless decisions that encumber self-control. Defensiveness, on the other hand, leads to passiveness and avoidance of enemies as much as possible.
10 - Create A Threatening Presence: Deterrence Strategies


Do not allow yourself to succumb to intimidation. You are more prone to it if enemies find you weak and vulnerable. Deterrence strategies simply reverse this kind of an impression.
11 - Trade Space For Time: The Nonengagement Strategy


Retreat is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is one way of utilizing and maximizing available resources. Get out of your paradigm that advancing is the best thing to do no matter what since it is not always the case. Retreat paves the way for
reassessment of the situation and strategies. It saves time and effort for situations that really call for action.

Offensive Warfare  


There are simply things that you cannot exactly anticipate. The discrepancy between your expectations and what is real is called “friction”. By practicing offensive strategies, you initiate the war by attacking first. Thus, you get a better hand at control and create actual circumstances based on your expectations. Friction then manifests at the enemy's side.
12 - Lose Battles But Win The War: Grand Strategy

Reflect on where you really want to go and what you want your destiny to be. It may also be helpful to see where your skills seem to be bringing you right now. After which, think forward but be sure you are taking several steps ahead. Look at your
final destiny as an entire campaign, not just individual battles to recover from. This is the so-called grand strategy. The ultimate end result is more essential than each phase.

13 - Know Your Enemy: The Intelligence Strategy


Be keener in your interactions with people and situations. Remember that your opponent's mind is your real enemy. Having an accurate grasp of the enemy's weaknesses will contribute much to your victory.
14 - Overwhelm Resistance With Speed And Suddenness: The Blitzkrieg Strategy


This does not pertain to impetuous speed as it should involve a carefully crafted plan. You must come up with a plan that will catch your enemies off guard. A certain level of order and strategy must initially be in place to harness the benefits of the speed and suddenness of your actions. Prepare yourself and carefully analyze your opponent. Identify his weaknesses. To lure him into lowering his guard, appear weak. Attack when the enemy least expects it.
15 - Control The Dynamic: Forcing Strategies

At some point, you will encounter people who want to exercise control over you. You can easily reverse this by following these four basic principles and gain ultimate control:
1. Keep them on their heels. Take the initiative before the enemy does.
2. Shift the battlefield. You can confuse your enemies by making essential factors unfamiliar to them. Eventually, they will be exerting efforts that are to your advantage without them immediately realizing it.
3. Compel mistakes. Your enemies definitely have plans as well. Push them to become impulsive and commit a cycle of mistakes along the way.
4. Assume passive control. Let them believe they are in control. This way, they will lower their guards a little.
16 - Hit Them Where It Hurts: The Center-Of-Gravity Strategy

Gravitational pull is said to support the earth and keep it in place. At war, the opponent's power rests on certain elements that work for them like gravity. Look beyond the obvious and identify what these gravity-like elements are and make it
your target. Distressing it will certainly make them fall apart.
17 - Defeat Them In Detail: The Divide-And-Conquer Strategy

Instead of looking at the totality of your opponent, try to examine its parts and how you can defeat each of them. The whole may appear overwhelming and disheartening to conquer. The parts, however, seem easier to overcome.
18 - Expose And Attack Your Opponent’s Soft Flank: The Turning Strategy

People tend to camouflage their weaknesses by presenting the opposite. The most effective way to overcome this kind of situation is to attack indirectly. Targeting the opponent's strong front will only waste your time and energy. You may need to take a longer, but more effective, route. Consider areas least expected to be attacked. Eventually, because of surprise, they will unintentionally uncover their weak aspect and will unconsciously make the rest of the attack easier for you.
19 - Envelop The Enemy: The Annihilation Strategy

When the enemy feels that there is not a single gap in your strategies that he can take advantage of, he starts to get weak and lose control of the situation. Any form of manipulation of the mind, whether positive or negative, shall strongly influence corresponding actions. Remember that the mind is a mighty propeller.
20 - Maneuver Them Into Weakness: The Ripening-For-The-Sickle Strategy

As mentioned earlier, as you go on through life, circumstances calling for war-like encounters are inevitable. Embarking upon them one after another can be really exhausting. A wise strategist will think of ways to weaken the opponent first before
engaging in actual battle.
21 - Negotiate While Advancing: The Diplomatic-War Strategy

When things do not seem resolved at battle, people resort to negotiations. The strength that you have prepared for battle should be maintained during negotiations for these usually involve scheming for power and control.
22 - Know How To End Things: The Exit Strategy

Always put to mind your purpose for entering the war in the first place. Reevaluate and see if you have attained that in the end. Your goal is definitely not to create enemies who shall unendingly go after you. Winning the war is not what is ultimately
important. How you win it and what the war made out of you bring more significance above all.
Unconventional (Dirty) Warfare

A warrior must adapt to changing times by constantly thinking of new ways of fighting. Sticking to tradition may not be effective as demands change with time. The following strategies present several helpful unconventional practices.
23 - Weave A Seamless Blend Of Fact and Fiction: Misperception Strategies

The more unclear your actions and strategies are to the opponent, the better. This makes it more complex for your enemies to fathom reality. Leave them to their own interpretations while you advance. Remember that, at times, perception is blinded
by what one expects to see so strategize around this idea.
24 - Take The Line Of Least Expectation: The Ordinary-Extraordinary Strategy

Your enemies may anticipate your actions by basing it on certain patterns of actions and behavior. Fail them in their expectations and be as unpredictable as possible. You might want to confuse them by being conventional initially. Once they have established the idea that you work traditionally, veer away and work extraordinarily. Confusion and disorder then occur at their side, hindering them from executing the right strategies.
25 - Occupy The Moral High Ground: The Righteous Strategy

Question the value of your opponent's campaign and efforts. Build up your own as more worthy. Make this fact obvious by proactively advocating it. Probe into some of your opponent's intentions and make it appear as if they are doing the wrong thing. Capitalize on some points that may sever their reputation. Use guilt to disillusion them.
26 - Deny Them Targets: The Strategy Of The Void

Human beings always act for a certain purpose. At war, the opponent's ultimate goal is certainly to target or capture you by tempting you to attack certain points that are intended to make you fall into a trap. Do not give away success. Do everything you can to make their efforts pointless. Let them go home empty-handed. The mere psychological effects of emptiness can negatively affect their strategies. They will desperately do anything just to achieve something.
27 - Seem To Work For The Interests Of Others While Furthering Your Own: The Alliance Strategy

You might have recognized already the importance of getting alliances to decentralize some tasks. However, this is not simply about getting whoever it is available. The emotional aspect should not take center stage this time. Moreover, an increase in number does not guarantee quality. There should be a healthy balance between quality and quantity.
28 - Give Your Rivals Enough Rope To Hang Themselves: The One-Upmanship Strategy

Not all enemies come from outside. At times, you will find them in places you least expect, that is, inside. You may be working with people you think are working with you towards the same goal. However, you should not freely give away trust. There may be some who are good at pretending to be one with you while working for their own personal interests. Defeat them by subtly making them feel inferior and dubious of their capabilities.
29 - Take Small Bites: The Fait Accompli Strategy

To conquer something is not always straightforward as envy comes into the picture. Some simply cannot appreciate your successes but wish for your downfall instead. Such should not push you to lower your standards. You may still maintain your
ambition but you must work towards it differently.
30 - Penetrate Their Minds: Communication Strategies

Effectively communicating your ideas can significantly alter another person's behavior. They may primarily block you off in several ways but appealing to their emotions will certainly lower these defenses. As soon as you've penetrated their minds, everything will run in accordance to your expectations.
31 - Destroy From Within: The Inner-Front Strategy

The best way to truly know your enemy is to take their side and appear a supporter. You will be able to gain information not readily available and accessible to outsiders. Use this information to propel your subtle maneuvers leading to the opponent's
destruction.
32 - Dominate While Seeming To Submit: The Passive-Aggression Strategy

Outright expression of contradiction is often translated as a form of aggression. This mainly explains why some people are hesitant to implement something that is not in line with the usual as they are concerned about gaining resistance and dislike.
Therefore, to block off this notion before it even surfaces, you must project yourself as in submission to your opponent. In this way, you get zero resistance. You, in turn, resort to subtly influencing them as you go with the flow.
33 - Sow Uncertainty And Panic Through Acts Of Terror: The Chain-Reaction Strategy

A person can easily be influenced and affected by the emotions of those surrounding him. Introducing fear instigates extreme emotional reaction that spreads almost automatically. A great sense of fear makes anyone more vulnerable than usual and
less resistant. Strategic capabilities seem to take the back seat as well. You can take advantage of this if you want to easily conquer an enemy.

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