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

Where Are We At – Let’s Evaluate Things

Now that I am nearly halfway through with commenting on The Art of War, written by Sun Tzu, I’d like to share with you a few thoughts and feelings.

Is The Art of War About War?

YES, but NO.

The Art of War was originally written to be about war.  BUT, it’s ideas are equally applicable to life in general.

Some People Don’t Agree

I have actually found my discussions about The Art of War to be semi-contentious.  The very fact that the word WAR is mentioned in the title automatically seems to make many people oppose it’s concepts.

All I can say about that is 2 things:

• I didn’t come up with the title for the book, so please don’t blame me that it was written in the context of war.

• In my opinion, for one to be intolerant about the ideas expressed in The Art of War, simply because it was written in the context of war is probably not the best thing for someone to do.

What Is The Art of War Really About?

The Art of War is primarily about the following things:

• Understanding of one’s situation;

• Understanding of extremes (i.e., the high vs. the low, front vs. the rear, up vs. down, left vs. right);

• Taking the knowledge gained from the understanding of the extremes and applying it to your advantage.

What Is The Art of War NOT About?

While it was written in the context of war, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, it should no longer be read that way.  It should be APPLIED TO CURRENT DAY CIRCUMSTANCES, but it’s principles should still be reviewed because they are incredibly, dead-on applicable to today’s world.

That is the beauty of The Art of War.  It’s ideas are as applicable today as they were 2500 years ago.

What Should You Do At This Point?

Firstly, you should do whatever you choose to do; whatever you are comfortable with.

Secondly, I think you should study what The Art of War suggests and instead of thinking of it as warfare; instead of thinking of it as winning and losing; instead of thinking of it as I win – you lose, FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPLY IT.

That’s the beauty of Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

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