So I have solved my computer difficulties now and can finally post some new pictures. As summer is just beginning I am really excited for the brilliant colors. This summer I'm traveling to many places and adventures and I will have my camera for all of them. And I might buy a new camera! The one I have now is not as manual as I'd like. Anyways...hope you enjoy.
Giles, Lionel Sun Tzu On The Art of War, The Oldest Military Treatise In The Word. British Museum, 1910. (*amazon kindle version)
ReplyDeleteSun Tzu The Art of War
M.S., Emerson and Ordeshook, Peter “A Game-Theoretic Interpretation of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 31, No. 2 (May, 1994) 161-174
The Art of War was the first strategy book written on the face of the planet. It was written over 2,400 years ago in Ancient China by a man named Sun Tzu (Sunzi). His main point throughout the book is, war is deception. War comes down to knowing what the opponent will do, and reacting to that wisely. This book, although written 2000 years ago is valid and useful in today’s world. Today wars are fought in similar ways and businesses are conducted in a parallel manner as well. Obviously the objective of war is to win, but Tzu takes that a step further: the objective of war is to win, rewardingly and cheaply. In other words, to win with a gain of goods and without a loss of money and men. Tzu says in order to win rewardingly a general must understand the five categories of war: 1) Moral law (following leader’s commands) 2) Heaven (temperature, weather) 3) Earth (terrain) 4) Commanders 5) Strategy.
1) Moral law is fairly simple and obvious; the soldiers must follow the leader’s commands. He says for soldiers to fight their hardest, rewards are necessary.
ReplyDelete2) Heaven pertains to the weather and temperature. Weather was harder to predict in Ancient China, than now days so it was hard for generals to intercept the weather, yet it is so important. In the Punic Wars we saw Hannibal surround the Romans without the Romans realizing it because they couldn’t see because of the fog.
3) Earth plays a key role in war. Rivers, mountains, canyons. Tzu commands generals not to camp in low and unprotected areas. Camping on a large hill, or mountain forces the enemy to attack up the hill, which is a lot harder to fight up than down. An arrow can only go so high, while an arrow can go infinitely down. Also, he advises not to attack up river for the akin reasons. It is too hard to march up a strong river.
4) Commanders and strategies are the most vital and key. They make all the choices of when, where, and how to attack. They make the previous three points happen.
1) When: Tzu says time is very valuable, great generals never waste it. In battle when time is wasted, weapons become dull, men become tired, supplies become limited. He also says, men are keen in the mornings, but weary at nights. Thus it is easier to attack at night because the enemy is not keen.
2) How: The key on how to attack is to know yourself, and your enemy. This is where deception is key. If you know what your enemy’s weaknesses, then you can smite them right where it hurts.
3) Where: Deception is also key here. To know your enemies strengths and then choose where they are least effective. At Thermopolae the Greeks did well because they picked a spot to fight where it was suitable to them.
The four points Tzu makes can be used into today’s business world. Moral is the relationship between the employees and leaders. Weather is outside pressures. Earth is the market place. Commanders are the CEO’s.
ReplyDelete1) We have established moral means soldiers having a responsibility to their leader to listen and then executing. It is the same idea with businesses today, for example let’s take a REI worker. The manager of REI will tell the employees to do a certain job, and the worker must perform that job. In Ancient times a general would tell a man to scout North, and he must perform that job.
2) Heaven in Ancient war times meant the uncontrollable earth. In business the heaven is the outside pressures. An outside pressure is a drought, a plague ect. Both these types of outside pressures affect the outcome in war and jobs.
3) Earth means terrain. In modern times, our terrain is the market place. We control where our product is sold and manufactured. This can either make our product successful or not.
4) Finally CEO’s command their “army” like the Ancient generals “managed” their armies.
Hello Aves, I just gave you the Kreativ Blogger Award. Congrats
ReplyDeleteReally like the tones in these photos. The Utah mug is my favorite. Nice work.
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