Alexia Dominique Reyes
I reread the Art of War because I'm rereading the books I need to review for Sociopoliticool. The only thing I want to say is that, earlier, I was looking at the sky and realized how peaceful my life is. This is better, I thought. The board exam results were released yesterday, and I wasn't sad that I "just" passed it. This is better. Maybe the universe really knows what I deeply want. Because if I had topped it, I would be stressed out by the attention. And deep inside me, I never liked attention.
Many people today do everything to get attention. They put themselves into deep debt or put up a fake persona just to be noticed. They want to be at the top so that they can look down on others. What was my motivation for setting that "topnotcher" goal? Did I want to prove something to everyone? Everyone, who doesn't even matter to me? So, I started to appreciate what I got. "Comparing up versus comparing down." The 16,560 who failed would love to be in my position. It was a win. I won the war.
LOL. It wasn't a war. But whatever I said above was what I thought when I asked myself about what it means to be a winner. And a winner is someone who is content. Anyway, some highlights:
- "We have all heard of victories that result from a quick strike by a mediocre opponent, but we have yet to hear of a single victory gained by clever schemers who let the hostilities drag on. In short, there has never been a single instance where the court has profited from lengthy engagements."
- "The expert in deploying troops will humble the enemy without ever engaging them in battle. He will take their cities without ever attacking, and topple the ruling house without protracted engagements. For always, when contending in the realm, success means keeping yourself whole."
- "If you do not know the enemy, but you know yourself, then you will win and lose by turns. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle, certainly."
- "Whoever excels in battle can make himself invincible, but he cannot always make the enemy vulnerable."
- "To be prepared everywhere is to be strong nowhere."
- "The ultimate skill in determining formations lies in assuming no set formation. If there is no form, then their spies embedded in your camp will not be able to discern it, nor will the wisest of their counsellors be able to lay plans against it."
- "If the enemy is close but quiet, he relies on his strategic position."
- "A most important consideration in war is speed. With speed, you can exploit whatever is beyond the enemy's reach. You can take the routes he least expects, and you can attack him before he's prepared."
- "When the enemy gives you an opening, rush in. Tempt him with whatever he lusts for, and then by subtle means determine the date for battle. Never let him know the timing of your attack. The only steadfast rule is to adapt to the enemy's moves, in order to determine the course and outcome of the battle."
- "As the phrase goes, 'He who hesitates is lost.' Hence the saying, 'The brilliant ruler thinks it through, while good commanders refine the plan.' When nought's to gain, move not. Over things of little worth, fight not. Save in direst need, war not."
Okay, that's enough. My backbone hurts. But my last words are: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." My life is peaceful because I stopped fighting for anything. It will if it must. Stoicism is the cure for stress.
I reread the Art of War because I'm rereading the books I need to review for Sociopoliticool. The only thing I want to say is that, earlier, I was looking at the sky and realized how peaceful my life is. This is better, I thought. The board exam results were released yesterday, and I wasn't sad that I "just" passed it. This is better. Maybe the universe really knows what I deeply want. Because if I had topped it, I would be stressed out by the attention. And deep inside me, I never liked attention.
Many people today do everything to get attention. They put themselves into deep debt or put up a fake persona just to be noticed. They want to be at the top so that they can look down on others. What was my motivation for setting that "topnotcher" goal? Did I want to prove something to everyone? Everyone, who doesn't even matter to me? So, I started to appreciate what I got. "Comparing up versus comparing down." The 16,560 who failed would love to be in my position. It was a win. I won the war.
LOL. It wasn't a war. But whatever I said above was what I thought when I asked myself about what it means to be a winner. And a winner is someone who is content. Anyway, some highlights:
- "We have all heard of victories that result from a quick strike by a mediocre opponent, but we have yet to hear of a single victory gained by clever schemers who let the hostilities drag on. In short, there has never been a single instance where the court has profited from lengthy engagements."
- "The expert in deploying troops will humble the enemy without ever engaging them in battle. He will take their cities without ever attacking, and topple the ruling house without protracted engagements. For always, when contending in the realm, success means keeping yourself whole."
- "If you do not know the enemy, but you know yourself, then you will win and lose by turns. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle, certainly."
- "Whoever excels in battle can make himself invincible, but he cannot always make the enemy vulnerable."
- "To be prepared everywhere is to be strong nowhere."
- "The ultimate skill in determining formations lies in assuming no set formation. If there is no form, then their spies embedded in your camp will not be able to discern it, nor will the wisest of their counsellors be able to lay plans against it."
- "If the enemy is close but quiet, he relies on his strategic position."
- "A most important consideration in war is speed. With speed, you can exploit whatever is beyond the enemy's reach. You can take the routes he least expects, and you can attack him before he's prepared."
- "When the enemy gives you an opening, rush in. Tempt him with whatever he lusts for, and then by subtle means determine the date for battle. Never let him know the timing of your attack. The only steadfast rule is to adapt to the enemy's moves, in order to determine the course and outcome of the battle."
- "As the phrase goes, 'He who hesitates is lost.' Hence the saying, 'The brilliant ruler thinks it through, while good commanders refine the plan.' When nought's to gain, move not. Over things of little worth, fight not. Save in direst need, war not."
Okay, that's enough. My backbone hurts. But my last words are: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." My life is peaceful because I stopped fighting for anything. It will if it must. Stoicism is the cure for stress.