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Old 10-31-2008, 06:19 AM   #1
Waterman
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Default How To Be Prepared

When I started preparing for this post, I was going to make comments after each of the following quotes. Although much could be said I have decided not to.

Rather I would like you to consider the following quotes and let them speak to you personally. In them is much wisdom.

Let them encourage you and know that you are not alone in the coming days and hours that lay before us all.

The Art of War
Sun Tzu

I. Laying Plans
14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.
18. All warfare is based on deception.


III. Attack by Stratagem
18. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

IV. Tactical Dispositions
2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

V. Energy
6. Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.

VI. Weak Points and Strong
2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.
13. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy's must be divided.
30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

VII. Maneuvering
1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign.
27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.
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Old 10-31-2008, 02:48 PM   #2
Waterman
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

We must prepare mentally first!
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Old 11-01-2008, 03:40 AM   #3
Anchor
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

Was your second post a bump - why not edit the first post?

Personally I think you do Sun Tzu a minor disservice. IMHO The art of war is best read in its entirity - other wise you dont get the art. I think he called it the "Art" of war for a reason.

A..
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Old 11-01-2008, 03:44 AM   #4
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

*

Last edited by WineHippie; 11-07-2008 at 04:32 AM.
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Old 11-01-2008, 03:50 AM   #5
Waterman
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

I would have preferred to. However thinking about it I thought it would have been too long.

After deciding not to put it all up, I spent some time pondering certain points, and was going to comment on the ones I was going to post. But then decided not to do that either, because yes I didn't want to ruin fine art.

Not posting its entirety I thought would be distracting, since knowing how to run through a muddy field or start fires would not be particularly useful right now.

I did my best to encourage Avalon members and readers, by posting a portion of his thought. Some in the forum have "felt" overcome this past week and a half. And so I thought it would be good to know we can still win. And winning begins in the mind. So I leaned on his writings and pulled sections out to edify that thinking.

The sections posted were for emphasis, and were my attempt, and probably a clumsy attempt to artfully present some of that art.

Last edited by Waterman; 11-01-2008 at 04:10 AM.
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Old 11-01-2008, 03:52 AM   #6
Waterman
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

So with that logic I should not eat because it prevents me from dying?
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Old 11-01-2008, 03:54 AM   #7
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Last edited by WineHippie; 11-07-2008 at 04:32 AM.
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Old 11-01-2008, 04:35 AM   #8
Anchor
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Default Re: How To Be Prepared

Quote:
Originally Posted by Waterman View Post
I did my best to encourage Avalon members and readers, by posting a portion of his thought. Some in the forum have "felt" overcome this past week and a half.
Ok, I can dig it. Thanks for this.

My opinion was just that, I wasnt posting as a moderator or anything (for the avoidance of doubt!) The worst part about being a moderator is that it makes me less able to contribute to threads as a regular "member" sometimes - maybe not this time, but I noticed its started to change the way people read my words. Ho Hum.

A..
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