THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF WARFARE

We Love Illusion - Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, The Laws of Human Nature, and most recently, The Daily Laws.

https://x.com/RobertGreene

###

According to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, deception is a fundamental principle of warfare. He states:

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” (Emphasis added)

In essence, Sun Tzu advocates for creating a false impression of one’s intentions, capabilities, and position to gain a strategic advantage over the enemy. This can be achieved by:

Feigning weakness or inactivity to lure the enemy into a trap

Concealing one’s true strength or intentions

Creating illusions about one’s location or movements

By employing deception, Sun Tzu suggests that a commander can:

Gain an upper hand in negotiations or diplomacy

Disrupt the enemy’s plans and decision-making processes

Create opportunities for surprise attacks or strategic maneuvers

Mirrored - bootcamp