The Strategic Principles of Sun Tzu's Art of War

Zhuge Changqing

Cultivate one's moral integrity, unify one's family, govern the country, and level the world

Sun Tzu's art of war has lasted for more than two thousand years, and its lasting prosperity lies in its profound strategic thinking and persistent philosophical thinking. The external material world is changing, but human nature has not changed, and the general law of competition has not changed. Based on his profound insight into human nature and the law of competition, Sun Wuzi wrote thirteen articles on the art of war. Thirteen articles are integrated to form a complete system of winning through competition. The understanding and application of this system vary with the changes of times and environment, while its basic principles remain unchanged. Sun Tzu's art of war is rich in content. According to his own experience, he has constructed a set of strategic principles, including:

1、 Know your enemy and yourself, and be invincible in every battle

Knowing the other and the self is the premise and basis for formulating and implementing all strategies and tactics.

Sun Tzu said: Those who know their enemy and know their own will not be defeated in a hundred battles; Know who you are and know who you are; If you don't know who you are and who you are, you will end up in every war. ("Assault")

He also said, "Know the enemy and know yourself, and victory is not dangerous."; Know the heaven and the earth. (Topography)

He also said, "Therefore, it is wise and wise to be able to move and win. Success comes from many people, and so do the prophets.". (Use Room Chapter)

He also said, "Anticipate the enemy to win, plan the danger, the distance, and the way of the general.". (Topography)

Competition takes "knowledge" as the priority. Mao Zedong, the leader of the people, expressed in a popular language: "Without investigation, there is no right to speak". To sum up, "self" refers to subjective factors, "that" refers to objective environment, "that" and "self" refer to all factors that affect victory. Collecting and analyzing all major factors that affect victory is the premise and basis for victory.

Know the enemy and know yourself. In general, in military warfare, there are "five things" and "seven plans". The five things are: Tao, Heaven, Earth, General, and Dharma? Who can? Who gets it from heaven and earth? Which is the law? Who is better than others? Which soldier should be trained? Which is better? (The First Plan Chapter)

Sun Wuzi elaborated on how to "know the other":

Know the enemy's plan and observe the enemy's situation: plan and know the gain and loss of the plan, make and know the reason of movement and static, form and know the place of death and life, angle and know the surplus and deficiency. (Empty and Real Chapter)

Detect the enemy's situation with spies: Five rooms rise, and don't know the way. It is called divine discipline and the treasure of man and king ("Use Room Chapter").

Facing the war, "opposing the enemy": thirty-two methods of opposing the enemy. If the enemy is close and quiet, he will rely on his danger The soldiers met each other in anger, disagreed with each other for a long time, and did not leave each other. We must carefully observe it. (March Chapter)

2、 Win first and then fight

"To win first and then to fight" means to fight with confidence, which fully reflects Sun Wuzi's prudent thought of war.

Sun Tzu said: In ancient times, the so-called good fighter is better than the easy winner. Therefore, those who are good at fighting will win without wisdom or courage. Therefore, it won't win. Those who are not good will win what they do, and those who have lost will win. Therefore, those who are good at fighting will remain invincible without losing the enemy. That is why the victorious soldiers fight first and then win, and the defeated soldiers fight first and then win. Those who are good at military use, cultivate morality and protect the law, so they can win or lose. (Military Form Chapter)

Cultivating morality and protecting the law is the basis of winning first. Political clarity and prosperity of the country ensure the overall strength of the army and the fighting morale of the army.

Knowing the enemy and ourselves is the basis of winning first. By analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the enemy and ourselves, we strive to make ourselves invincible, while capturing and creating opportunities to defeat the enemy.

3、 Strive for the whole world

The implementation of the all-win strategy can achieve the goal of "subduing the enemy without war". "subduing the enemy without war" is the highest level of military use, the symbol of strength, and the embodiment of the win-win idea.

Sun Tzu said, "Those who are good at using weapons will defeat others rather than fight, pull out cities rather than attack, destroy the country rather than attack for a long time, and will fight for the whole world. Therefore, if the army is not stopped, the whole will be benefited. This is the way to attack.". ("Assault")

The cost of war is huge, and "every day costs thousands of dollars". If we can turn the enemy into a friend and share benefits, we can "take advantage of the war without stopping". "Expedition" is a good strategy to achieve "total victory". Before the enemy makes strategic decisions, it can exert influence on the key people and processes of its decision-making, or shake the enemy's high-level fighting will, find common interests of both sides, and reach an interest alliance.

4、 Avoid reality and attack emptiness

The essential purpose of avoiding the actual situation and fighting against the false is to grasp the strategic initiative, win or seize the strategic key points through key campaigns, erode the enemy's vitality, dampen the enemy's morale, inspire our morale, strive for a favorable combat situation, and then take the strategic initiative.

Sun Tzu said, "The image of a soldier is like water, and the shape of water is like water; The shape of a soldier is to avoid reality and attack emptiness. The water is controlled by the ground, and the army is defeated by the enemy. Therefore, the war is unstable, the water is unstable, and those who can win due to the change of the enemy are called gods. Therefore, the five elements have no permanent victory, the four seasons have no permanent position, the days have short and long, and the months have death and life. (Empty and Real Chapter)

Knowing the other and the self is a prerequisite for avoiding the real and fighting against the false. Know the enemy and the enemy, so as to concentrate our forces, form local advantages and attack the enemy's empty places.

5、 To win with the right combination

Sun Tzu said, "All those who fight will win with the right combination.". Therefore, those who are good at surprises are infinite as heaven and earth, and inexhaustible as rivers. The sun and the moon are the same; It's four o'clock to come back from the dead. The sound is no more than five. The change of five sounds is not better than listening. There are only five colors, and the change of five colors cannot be seen. The taste is only five, and the change of the five tastes is unbeatable. The war situation is only positive, and the change of positive and positive cannot be defeated. Strange things and positive things coexist, like the endless cycle. Who can be poor? ("Military Potential")

Sun Wuzi believes that all combat methods originate from the changes of the odd and the right. The changes of the odd and the right have evolved into endless combat methods. Those who make good use of the odd and the right, their methods of coping with the enemy are "infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as rivers".

A well-trained and well-coordinated army is the key to victory by surprise. The use of surprise comes from the change of division and combination. According to the change of the enemy's situation, the army can be flexibly deployed and quickly attacked.

6、 It is not expensive to win for a long time

"Military victory is not expensive for a long time", that is, to fight with military force is to win quickly, not to delay the war.

Sun Wuzi advocated quick victory from the perspective of attack. To launch a war is generally to invade the enemy's country, fight heavily on the ground, and consume a huge amount of national wealth. So Sun Tzu put forward the idea of "slow speed", saying: "The slow speed of the war can't be seen for a long time. The long time of the war and the national benefit can't be seen." ("Operations"). The "Nine Places Chapter" further states: "The love of a soldier depends on his speed. If he can't catch up with others, he can attack them without warning."

"Quick win" is a competitive art. It often uses the psychology of "Jedi counterattack" to make individuals and teams focus on fighting and have clear goals, so as to achieve the goal of invincibility.

The combination of the above six strategic principles is to know the enemy and know the enemy first. On the basis of knowing the enemy and knowing the enemy, we should make sufficient and necessary preparations to win first. A complete victory can be described as the most ideal implementation result of winning first. It is also the embodiment of the win-win strategy of "taking advantage of all the advantages without stopping the war". If we have to decide the victory and defeat through "war", we should implement the strategy of avoiding the actual situation and defeating the enemy by surprise to win the final victory. Speed is a strategic principle, Both military war and commercial war have practical significance.

 孙子兵法的战略原则 

诸葛长青

修身、齐家、治国、平天下

中国·成功者俱乐部http://q.blog.sina.com.cn/chgyzh

 东方巨龙 天下驰骋！

 孙子兵法绵延二千余年，长盛不衰，在于其深刻的战略思想，恒久的哲学思维。外在的物质世界在变，而人性未变，竞争的普遍规律未变，孙武子基于对人性和竞争规律的深刻洞察，著就兵法十三篇。十三篇浑然一体，形成一套竞争致胜的完整体系，对这一体系的认识和运用，随着时代的变迁和环境的改变，有所不同，而其基本原则历久弥新。孙子兵法内容丰富，根据自己体会，构建一组战略原则，有：

 　　一、知彼知己，百战不殆
 　　知彼知己，是制定和实施一切战略战术的前提和基础。
 　　孙子曰：知彼知己者，百战不贻；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼，不知己，每战必贻。（《谋攻篇》）
 　　又曰：知彼知己，胜乃不殆；知天知地，胜乃不穷。（《地形篇》）
 　　又曰：故明君贤将，所以动而胜人，成功出于众者，先知也。（《用间篇》）
 　　又曰：料敌制胜，计险厄远近，上将之道也。（《地形篇》）
 　　竞争以“知”为先，人民领袖毛泽东用了一句通俗的语言表达：“没有调查，就没有发言权”。概而言之，“己”指主观因素，“彼”指客观环境，“彼”和“己”概指一切影响胜利的因素，搜集分析所有影响胜利的主要因素，是取胜的前提和基础。

 　　知彼知己，于兵战大而言之是“五事”“七计”，五事即：道、天、地、将、法，七计即：主孰有道？将孰有能？天地孰得？法令孰行？兵众孰强？士卒孰练？赏罚孰明？（《始计篇》）

 　　孙武子对如何“知彼”作了详尽的阐述：
 　　知敌之谋，察敌之情：策之而知得失之计，作之而知动静之理，形之而知死生之地，角之而知有余不足之处。（《虚实篇》）
 　　用间谍探知敌情：五间俱起，莫知其道，是谓神纪，人君之宝也（《用间篇》）。
 　　临战“相敌”：相敌三十二法。敌近而静者，恃其险也；……兵怒而相迎，久而不合，又不相去，必谨察之。（《行军篇》）
 　　二、先胜而后求战
 　　“先胜而后求战”，就是要打有把握之仗，充分体现了孙武子的慎战思想。
 　　孙子曰：古之所谓善战者，胜于易胜者也。故善战者之胜也，无智名，无勇功。故其战胜不忒。不忒者，其所措必胜，胜已败者也。故善战者，立于不败之地，而不失敌之败也。是故胜兵先胜而后求战，败兵先战而后求胜。善用兵者，修道而保法，故能为胜败之政。（《军形篇》）

 　　修道而保法是先胜的根本，政治清明、国力昌盛，确保了军队的整体实力，也确保了军队的战斗士气。
 　　知彼知己是先胜的基础，通过分析敌我双方的优势与劣势，力求使自己立于不败之地，同时捕捉和创造战胜敌人的机会。
 　　三、以全争于天下
 　　全胜战略的实施，可以做到“不战而屈人之兵”，“不战而屈人之兵”是用兵的至高境界，是实力的象征，也是共赢思想的体现。
 　　孙子曰：善用兵者，屈人之兵而非战也，拔人之城而非攻也，毁人之国而非久也，必以全争于天下，故兵不顿而利可全，此谋攻之法也。（《谋攻篇》）
 　　战争消耗巨大，“日费千金”，若能化敌为友、利益共享则可“兵不顿而利可全”。“伐谋”是成就“全胜”战果的良策，在敌军作出战略决策之先，对其决策关键人及过程施加影响，或动摇敌军高层战斗意志，寻找双方利益共同点，从而达成利益同盟。

 　　四、避实而击虚
 　　避实击虚的实质目的在于掌握战略主动，通过关键战役取胜或抢占战略要地，蚕食敌军有生力量，挫伤敌军士气，振奋我军斗志，争取有利作战态势，而后取得战略主动。
 　　孙子曰：夫兵形象水，水之形，避高而趋下；兵之形，避实而击虚。水因地而制流，兵应敌而制胜。故兵无常势，水无常形，能因敌变化而取胜者，谓之神。故五行无常胜，四时无常位，日有短长，月有死生。（《虚实篇》）

 　　知彼知己是避实击虚的先决条件。知彼知己，从而集中我方兵力，形成局部优势，攻击敌军空虚之所。
 　　五、以正合，以奇胜
 　　孙子曰：凡战者，以正合，以奇胜。故善出奇者，无穷如天地，不竭如江河。终而复始，日月是也；死而复生，四时是也。声不过五，五声之变，不可胜听也。色不过五，五色之变，不可胜观也。味不过五，五味之变，不可胜尝也。战势不过奇正，奇正之变，不可胜穷之也。奇正相生，如循环之无端，孰能穷之？（《兵势篇》）

 　　孙武子认为，一切作战方式源于奇正变化，奇正的变化运用演变出无穷无尽的作战方式方法，善用奇正者，其应敌方法“无穷如天地，不竭如江河”。
 　　一支训练有素、配合默契的军队是出奇制胜的关键，奇正运用源于分合为变，依据敌情变化，灵活调度军队，快速出击，正亦奇，奇亦正，避实击虚，因敌制胜。
 　　六、兵贵胜，不贵久
 　　“兵贵胜，不贵久”，即是：用兵打仗贵在迅速取得胜利，而不宜拖延战事。
 　　孙武子主张速胜，是从进攻的角度而言的，发动战争，一般是侵入敌国，重地作战，国财消耗巨大，于是孙子提出“拙速”的主张，曰：“兵闻拙速，未睹巧之久也。夫兵久而国利者，未之有也。”（《作战篇》）。《九地篇》进一步言及：“兵之情主速，乘人之不及，由不虞之道，攻其所不戒也。”

 　　“快速取胜”是一门竞争艺术，往往运用人“绝地反击”的心理，使个人以及团队战斗意志集中、目标明确，从而达到所向披糜、无坚不摧的境界。
 　　以上六条战略原则组合，知彼知己在先，在知彼知己基础上，做好充分而必要的作战准备，从而做到先胜，全胜可谓是先胜最理想的实施结果，也是“兵不顿而利可全”共赢策略的体现，若必须通过“伐战”以决胜负，则实施避实击虚、出奇制胜策略，赢得最终胜利，速度作为一条战略原则，无论是兵战，还是商战，都有其现实意义。

(This article is an original article by Zhuge Changqing, and the pictures are selected from the Internet. Welcome to forward it, and please indicate the source for forwarding)

Introduction to Zhuge Changqing: Zhuge Changqing, the inheritor and promoter of traditional Chinese culture, is willing to "learn from sages, promote virtue, revitalize China and benefit the world" together with people with the same ideals in the world.

(Zhuge Changqing: zhuge8031@163.com ）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

Zhuge Changqing's Chinese Dream

Learn from sages and carry forward virtue

Revitalizing China for the benefit of the world

 （本文是诸葛长青原创文章，图片选自网络。欢迎转发，转发引用请注明出处）

诸葛长青简介：诸葛长青，中国国学传统文化传承弘扬者，愿与天下志同道合者一起“学习圣贤、弘扬善德、振兴中华、造福世界”。

（诸葛长青：zhuge8031@163.com）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

  诸葛长青中国梦  

学习圣贤 弘扬善德

振兴中华 造福世界

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