THE PRESENT WAR (The 33 Strategies of War)

In 1605, Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai who had made a name for himself as a swordsman at the young age of twenty-one, was challenged to a duel.

Musashi fought in many duels and won them all. In all his duels, he tried never to use the same tactic and sometimes changed weapons and fighting styles altogether. Early in his career, he defeated and killed two members of the Yoshika family. In both duels, he had shown up late to anger his opponents. Then, when he faced the third member of the family, he decided to show up very early and hide in nearby trees. When his opponent showed up with a small party set to ambush him, counting on him to be late, they set an ambush for him. However, it was Musashi who had the upper hand. By taking them by surprise and unprepared, he defeated them all.

Years later, Musashi was set to fight a great samurai known for using a long sword. This time, he opted to arrive late—hours late—and by boat. Instead of a sword, he brandished a sharpened oar that was even longer than his opponent’s famous sword. Both his tardiness and his choice of unusual weapon threw his enemy off balance. Musashi handily defeated him and would from then on be known as a swordsman without peer. Musashi never stopped looking for the advantage and was never rooted in one tactic or weapon. He would arrive late, then early, then very late and very early. He would fight many men with a traditional weapon, then single opponents with two weapons or just an oar. His enemies never knew what to expect from him.

Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings, won all his duels for one reason: in each instance he adapted his strategy to his opponent and to the circumstances of the moment. With Matashichiro he decided it was time to arrive early, which he hadn't done in his previous fights.

Victory against superior numbers depended on surprise, so he leaped up when his opponents lay down; then, once he had killed their leader, he set himself at an angle that invited them to charge at him instead of surrounding him, which would have been much more dangerous for him. With Baiken it was simply a matter of using two swords and then crowding his space, giving him no time to react intelligently to this novelty.

With Ganryu he set out to infuriate and humiliate his haughty opponent--the wooden sword, the nonchalant attitude, the dirty-towel headband, the enigmatic remark, the charge at the eyes. Musashi's opponents depended on brilliant technique, flashy swords, and unorthodox weapons. That is the same as fighting the last war: instead of responding to the moment, they relied on training, technology, and what had worked before.

Musashi, who had grasped the essence of strategy when he was still very young, turned their rigidity into their downfall. His first thought was of the gambit that would take this particular opponent most by surprise. Then he would anchor himself in the moment: having set his opponent off balance with something unexpected, he would watch carefully, then respond with another action, usually improvised, that would turn mere disequilibrium into defeat and death.

Robert Greene, a maestro of power dynamics, has penned The 33 Strategies of War, a manual that decodes the art of conflict. Though rooted in military tactics, these strategies are incredibly relevant to our everyday battles, be it in the boardroom, social situations, or personal endeavors. The Guerrilla War of the Mind strategy is a mental game; it's about using psychology, subtlety, and surprise rather than brute force. This strategy teaches us to win by changing the psychological landscape, reshaping perceptions, and using creativity to overcome more powerful adversaries.

History is rife with examples. Consider how small groups like the Viet Cong used unpredictability and psychological tactics to challenge larger forces, or how political figures have altered public perception to gain an upper hand. These principles are timeless and continue to be relevant in today's world.

Imagine applying this strategy in business—outmaneuvering larger competitors with innovative tactics. In politics, it's about shaping narratives to outwit opponents. Even in personal relationships, subtle psychological maneuvers can help defuse and resolve conflicts. The key is creativity, adaptability, and the element of surprise.

At the core of this strategy are psychological principles like perception management, exploiting cognitive biases, and emotional manipulation. It's about understanding human psychology to predict and influence behavior. This strategy requires a deep understanding of how people think and react.

In conclusion, the Guerrilla War of the Mind strategy is a powerful tool in the art of psychological warfare. By mastering these tactics, you can navigate life's battles with a strategic edge. Remember, the greatest wars are often fought and won in the mind.

If you pay attention, you might notice that the same mistakes that the Prussians and Miyamoto’s enemies made are repeated in the modern world. Certain people may refuse to see reality for what it is, instead holding on to old patterns of behavior and beliefs. But what worked in the past does not work anymore, and mere repetition is no replacement for creativity. You may do this without realizing it, because it is difficult to be objective about ourselves. But suddenly, a figure like Napoleon or Miyamoto comes out of nowhere, has no respect for tradition, and disrupts your old paradigms.

In looking back on an unpleasant or disagreeable experience, the thought inevitably occurs to us: if only we had said or done x instead of y, if only we could do it over. Many a general has lost his head in the heat of battle and then, looking back, has thought of the one tactic, the one maneuver, that would have changed it all. Even Prince Hohenlohe, years later, could see how he had botched the retaking of Vierzehnheiligen. The problem, though, is not that we think of the solution only when it is too late. The problem is that we imagine that knowledge is what was lacking: if only we had known more, if only we had thought it through more thoroughly. That is precisely the wrong approach. What makes us go astray in the first place is that we are unattuned to the present moment, insensitive to the circumstances.

We are listening to our own thoughts, reacting to things that happened in the past, applying theories and ideas that we digested long ago but that have nothing to do with our predicament in the present. More books, theories, and thinking only make the problem worse.

“ My policy is to have no policy.” - ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 1809-1865 Most of Greene’s examples are about wars but don't let it keep you from learning life lessons he gives.

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