Samantha Redd V.

Closa
3 - ALM

Summary:
There are many effective tactics for winning in both combat and life in The Art of War. In
the sixth century B.C During the Chinese Qi dynasty, its author, Sun Tzu, commanded a
successful army. and is among history's finest military strategists.

Chapter 1 is about laying plans, it explains 5 factors that set any plan up for success
which are the following Moral Law, Heaven and Earth, The Commander and Method and
Discipline. In this chapter, the author mentioned the importance of knowing your opponent.
It is best to completely and intactly take over an enemy's area when in war. Raising it off
the ground is therefore useless. According to this, it is preferable to recapture an army than to kill
it. The best way to win a war is to eliminate your adversary without ever engaging them in
combat. This book highlights the essential requisites that you should take note before engaging
in war, knowing when and when not to fight, preparing yourself and waiting to take advantage of
any sign that the enemy is disorganized and unprepared.
Chapter 4 talks about Tactical Dispositions, and the author recommends the following
measurement, estimation, calculation, balancing chances and the last but not the least is victory.
In participating in war, you use your energy, like signals, attacks etc. So what’s the importance of
energy in a battle as what the author mentioned in Chapter 5? It’s all about communicating and
using indirect and direct attacks. Chapter 6 of the book is about weak and strong points when it
comes to battling “Attack the unguarded spots that your enemy doesn’t know how to defend, and
defend yourself against an enemy by fortifying your weak spots. This summarizes war and is one
example of the many attack strategies”
In Chapter 7 Sun Tzu suggests minimizing the amount of terrain your force travels across
to maintain its strength. Take rests when your army has to travel long distances so they are strong
enough to repel assaults. A weary army with poor morale never prevails in combat. Dangerous
faults in leaders that result in failure include:
- Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
- Cowardice, which leads to capture;
 - A hasty temper, which leads to being vulnerable to attacks (so don’t be easily angered by
insults from the enemy);
- A “delicacy of honor,” which means a leader will be too shameful to quit when
necessary; and
- Excessive worry over your soldiers, since this can cause a wise sovereign to prioritise the
well-being of their team over not on the war at hand (in war, people are expendable).

Chapter 9 is all about tactical warfare, this is one of the most technical and important
parts of the book. It explains that as a leader of the group you should encourage the armies,
prepare them to battle and to remind soldiers of the tactics.
In the final chapter of The Art of War, Sun Tzu states, “What enables the wise sovereign and the
good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is
foreknowledge.”

Personal Reflection:
I am familiar with this book because I used to listen to audiobooks on Youtube so that I
can sleep easily and randomly encountered this audiobook as my background music for
sleeping. At first, my impression about this book is that it is really about war and how to win a
battle, but when I try to read the book itself, not only from hearing it through audiobook, I
understand that it is not just about war itself, but it is also about self awareness and the
importance of knowing yourself.

I’ve come to learn and realize that not everything is worth fighting for and the reality in
life is that you will win in every battle that you have, and that’s okay. That’s the reality that we
have to face. Being a leader means you not only lead your team and give them instructions but
you treat them as your family, your loved ones because in war, they are the people who will help
you in gaining the victory, don’t neglect them.

In addition to that, it is not enough that you know your opponent, you know their tactics
and strategies but what is important is knowing yourself. Regardless of your strategies and
preparations, with the absence of knowing yourself, you will not gain something. Lastly, winning
a battle doesn’t need bloodstains and death in order for you to call it a victory, winning is not
about that. Winning is outsmarting your opponent, knowing when to attack and lastly giving
your best.

Reference: McFarlane, E. (2021, January 8). The Art of War by Sun Tzu Summary.
https://www.oberlo.com.ph/blog/the-art-of-war-by-sun-tzu-summary