Stanley F. Bronstein – Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

CHAPTER 5 – ABSTRACT KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHT & SKILLS – Part 2 of 2

Abstract Knowledge, Insight & Skills

Abstract – Theoretical; not applied or practical. Thought that is apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances. Something that concentrates in itself the essential qualities of anything more extensive or more general, or of several things; essence.

Knowledge – Acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation. Awareness, as of a fact or circumstance.

Insight – An instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, esp. through intuitive understanding. Penetrating mental vision or discernment; faculty of seeing into inner character or underlying truth.

Skills – Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience.

Previous Posts On The Art of War

While each one of these posts is designed to be read separately and independently of each other, it would be useful if you read the previous posts on The Art of War, all of which can be found by clicking here, if you have not already done so.

More From Sun Tzu

Chaos is born from order.   Cowardice is born from bravery.  Weakness is born from strength.

Order and chaos are a matter of counting.

Bravery and cowardice are a matter of shih (abstract knowledge, insight and skills).

Strength and weakness are a matter of form.

What Does This Quote Mean?

Sun Tzu is attempting to “put together” everything that has been discussed so far in the first 5 Chapters of The Art of War.

Order and Chaos signifies Chapter 1 – APPRAISALS.  If you have sufficient numbers; sufficient resources and you know how to use them, you will have order. If not, you will have chaos.

Bravery and Cowardice signifies Chapter 5 – SHIH (Abstract Knowledge, Insight and Skills).  If you have sufficient knowledge, insight and skills, you will believe in yourself and you will have reason to be brave. If not, you will have cowardice.

Strength and Weakness signifies Chapter 4 – FORM.  If you have your resources appropriate arranged and you know how to use them, you will be strong. If not, you will be weak.

But, just like yin and yang, the seed of the opposite is in every extreme.  Order stems from chaos.  Bravery stems from cowardice.  Strength stems from weakness.

Why Does The Art of War Focus On Extremes?

It was suggested to me yesterday in the comments to my post on 5.1 – The Art of War that dividing things into winning and losing (basically, dividing them into extremes) is a losing proposition and as it was put, it’s a “zero sum game.”   In other words, it’s a game where it is impossible for both players to win because one can only win if another loses.

Personally, I believe this is a VALID point that was raised and one that I’d like to expand upon.

Here’s why:

I don’t think that’s what Sun Tzu was going for here and it’s certainly not how I am choosing to interpret The Art of War.

Sun Tzu is advocating teaching.  He attempted to impart knowledge and was doing so through the use of illustrations that were applicable to his day; to his time.

IF we are going to successfully apply The Art of War to our time, then we’re going to have to modify it a bit.

Personally, I do not believe that the only way for someone to win is for another to lose, HOWEVER, I can see how one might get that idea from my recent posts on The Art of War.

I have spent the last 20 years as a negotiator and while I will admit that sometimes someone is going to win and someone is going to lose, I have seen too many times where both parties won or both parties lost.

In fact, I encountered both in the past 3 days.  I handled a multi-million negotiation where both parties sat down for 10 minutes, state their concerns and they quickly, and reasonably worked out a solution that benefited both parties.  One part is going to make several million dollars and the other party is going to acquire property they would like to acquire.  It’s a win-win situation.  YET, the tactics from the Art of War still applied.  Both parties went in knowing they had a strong position.  Both parties went in knowing they were right and that they could have “forced” the issue on the other, YET, both parties still managed to win, ALL because both parties applied the principles of The Art of War.  They chose to win by NOT destroying.

On the other hand, I had a long-term situation that came to a head the other day with a client that was just the opposite.  EVERYONE LOST.  NOBODY WON.

What Do You Think About This?

I really would like to know.

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