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The 36 Stratagems
The 36 Stratagems
26. Point at the mulberry tree but curse the locust tree
Convey one's intention, opinions in an indirect way.
27. Play a sober-minded fool
Hide one's ambition in order to win by total surprise
28. Lure the enemy onto the roof, then take away the ladder
Lure the enemy into a trap and then cut off his escape route
29. Flowers bloom in the tree
One who lacks internal strength may resort to external forces to achieve his goal
30. The guest becomes the host
Turn one's defensive and passive position to an offensive and active one
31. The beautiful woman stratagem
Use women, temptation and espionage to overpower the enemy
32. The empty-city stratagem
If you have absolutely no means of defense for your city and you openly display this
vulnerable situation to your suspicious enemy by just opening the city gate, he is likely to
assume the opposite. A deliberate display of weakness can conceal the true vulnerability
and thus confuse the enemy.
33. The counter-espionage stratagem
When the enemy's spy is detected, do not "beat the grass to startle the snake", but
furnish him with false information to sow discord in his camp
34. The self-torture stratagem
Display one's own suffering in order to win sympathy from others
35. The stratagem of interrelated stratagems
A stratagem combining various stratagems into one interconnected arrangement
36. Running away is the best stratagem
Run away, when all else fails. Accept temporary disgrace to win ultimate victory