F R E N E M I E S T R AT E G I E S Based on The Art of War
JOANNE CHANG
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1 Planning 2 Waging War 3 Offensive Strategy 4 Dispositions 5 Gain momentum 6 Weakness and Strength 7 Fighting for Advantage
8 Having good judgement 9 Survival skills 10 The path to the heart 11 The nine grounds 12 Fire Attack 13 Use of Spies Conclusion
Introduction
Have you ever stopped to think about the relationships in your life?
There are some that are fun and loving,
And some that aren’t how they appear.
It’s best to try to see eye to eye. But then suddenly one day you realize that your best friend is actually a frenemy. Various things happen to block direct communication. Sometimes, you can’t be direct, you need to be strategic.
This book will use techniques based on Sun-zhu’s the Art of War to help learn how to be strategic when dealing with different people help acheive your objectives efficiently with the least amount of conict. Strategy is about relationships and understsanding your place in the world. We will explore the theories and observe how the interaction within relationships is like a dance between different beings.
Planning
1
The ďŹ ve factors Deception Plan for victory
The five factors
When conflict occurs, we should compare the condidtions of ourselves and our opponent from the five factors in order to forecast victory before the start of war.
Righteousness
Management
Leadership
Timing
Openness
Deception Any strategic operation takes deception as its basic quality.
capture your frenemy when in disorder
If you are competent, pretend to be incompetent
If you are moving close to your frenemy, make it seem as if you are still far away
offer a bait to allure when they are in disorder enrage the hot-tempered
When you are ready to ďŹ ght, pretend to delay action
hit when it is unexpected
wear them out if they have taken a good rest
set one party against another within the group if they are united
evade for a time while they are strong take precautions against those who have good preparation and substantial strength
Plan for victory
If you plan and prepare carefully you will be in a favourable position and win victory; If you don’t, you will ďŹ nd yourself in an unfavourable position and win no victory.
2
Waging war
Make calculations Aim for speedy victory Every win counts
Make calculations
Calculate the costs of war. Do it only if you can afford it.
Aim for speedy victory
Don’t drag out war for too long.
Every win counts
Establish good credit to win people over. For every win you earn, small or large, use it to your advantage. The urge to destroy your frenemy comes out of wrath, not strategy.
3
Offense strategy
Win without destroying Compare your strength Know yourself and your frenemy
Compare your strength
If 10 times your frenemy’s strength, surround them, if 5 times, attack them, if double, divide them, if equal, engage them, if fewer, be able to evade them, if weaker, be able to avoid them.
Know yourself and your frenemy
If you know both your frenemy and yourself, you will ďŹ ght a hundred battles without danger of defeat; if you are ignorant of your frenemy but only know yourself, your chances of winning and losing are equal; if you know neither your frenemy nor yourself, you will certainly be defeated in every battle.
Win without destroying
Winning 100 victories in 100 battles is not real excellence, the supreme art of war is to with your frenemy without ďŹ ghting.
The supreme are o the enemy without
of war is to subdue t ďŹ ghting - Sun Tzu
4
Dispositions
Take a victorious disposition Plan for certainty of victory The defensive and offensive
Take a victorious disposition
To be victorious you must win ďŹ rst then go to war. If you go to war then seek to win, you will be defeated.
Plan for certainty of victory
To be invincible depends on one's initiative; to defeat the enemy depends on the enemy's errors.
The defensive and offensive
When there is no chance of winning, assume a defensive position; when there is a chance of victory, launch an attack.
5
Gain momentum
Strike fast Stay calm Deceitful appearances Make friends Use special tactics to take the enemy by surprise
Strike fast
Choose an advantageous position and launch a swift and sharp attack
Stay calm
War is chaos. Stay calm and keep yourself together.
Deceitful appearances
Put on a deceitful appearance, according to which your frenemy will act and move them to the positions you wouldlike them to be in.
Make friends
Select the right allies for you to help fully exploit favourable situations.
Use special tactics to take by surprise
As you use normal ways of confrontation, throw in some special tactics to take your frenemy by surprise. If you are adept in such tactics, you can apply them in ways as inďŹ nite as heaven and earth and as the never-ending ow of rivers.
Weakness and strength
6
Lead your frenemy by the nose Hold enemy's fate in your hands Skillful offense and defense Concentrate your strengths, divide theirs The balance of strengths and weaknesses The strong can also be defeated Understand your frenemy, conceal your disposition
Lead your frenemy by the nose
If you are one step ahead of your frenemy you will be at ease; the one who arrives later and makes their moves in haste will be weary. Thus, to be skilled in war you must always lead your frenemy by the nose, and not be manipulated.
Skillful offense and defense
If you are adept in attack, your frenemy will not know where or how to defend; and if you are adept in defence, your frenemy will not know where and how to attack.
Concentrate your strengths, divide theirs
If you expose your frenemy's disposition and hide yours, you can concentrate your strength and divide their force. Concentrate your forces at one place while your frenemy disperses theirs at ten places, then you are ten to one when you launch an attack on them at one place, which means your forces are numerically superior.
The balance of strengths and weaknesses
If your frenemy, takes precautions in the front, their rear will be weak, they take precautions in the rear, their front will be fragile. If they strengthen everywhere, they will be weak everywhere.
The strong can also be defeated
If one cannot grasp the situation correctly, then their left wing cannot help their right, let alone look for help. Even with a seemingly strong opponent, there will alwaysbe a way to make them unable to ďŹ ght.
Understand your frenemy, conceal your disposition
If you consider and analyse your frenemy's situation and their plans, you can have a clear understanding of their chances of success. If you agitate them, you can know the patterns of their attack and defence. Lure them to ďŹ nd out their vulnerable points, count their resources,then you can know their strengths and weaknesses.
Avoid what is stro is weak
ong, attack what - Sun Tzu
7
Fighting for advantage
The favorable position Gain allies, understand obstacles, and find inside information The first to gain victory Master your frenemy’s morale
The favorable position
Nothing is more difficult than to ďŹ ght for a favourable position. Often times you must make a circuitous route direct and turn disadvantage into advantage.
Gain allies, understand obstacles and ďŹ nd inside information
If you do not understand the motifs of differnt people, you cannot enter into alliances with them. If you are not familiar with the different obstacles that block you from your goals and are unable to gain detailed information about your frenemy, you cannot gain a favourable position for battle.
The ďŹ rst to gain victory
Master the tactic of deviation before your frenemy and you will win victory. You must weigh the pros and cons before you move: fake action when conditions are favourable, divide or concentrate your energy according to circumstances. be swift as the strong wind while taking action; be as stable as 3 silent forests so the wind cannot shake you.
Master your frenemy’s morale
At the beginning of war the spirit of your frenemy will be keen and irresistible. Later, it will decline. avoid them. When their morale is high and attack when they are tired and reluctant to ďŹ ght. If you do so you will master human morale.
Having good judgement
8
Know the tactical variables Beware of the ďŹ ve advances Weigh favorable and unfavorable situations Follow your own intentions and make yourself invincible The 5 fatal weaknesses
Know the tactical variables
Don’t put yourself into a tight position, ally with those who have resources; do not linger where it is uninhabitable: be shrewd when you are in a closed environment: ďŹ ght a desperate battle when there is no way to advance or retreat.
Beware of the 5 advances
There are some roads which should not be followed some people which should not be attacked, some cities that should not be captured, some ďŹ ghts that should not be won, and some orders which need not be obeyed.
Weigh favorable and unfavorable situations
Give consideration to both favourable and unfavourable factors, take full account of the unfavourable factors when in a favourable position. Only then can you succeed in your plans. Take full account of the favourable conditions while in an unfavourable position. Only then can you resolve difficulties.
Follow your own intentions and make yourself invincible
Follow your own intentions, not other’s. Never rely on the likelihood of your frenemy's not coming, but on your own readiness to meet them. Do not expect that your frenemy may not launch an attack, but count on the fact that you have made yourself invincible.
The 5 fatal weaknesses
If you are brave but not resourceful and only know how to put up a desperate ďŹ ght, you will easily be defeated; If you cling onto things that don’t serve you, you will easily be captured; if you are quicktempered, you will easily make regretful moves; if you are too proud, you will be easily shamed and driven to reckless action, if you are too benevolent and loving you are liable to become hesitant and passive.
9
Survival skills
Observe how to position yourself Understand how to deal with danger Watch for signs Interpret behavior Pay attention to change Know how to treat people Assess first, then attack Training for discipline
Observe how to position yourself
Keep your options open, Select a high ground as a safe place to set your base. Never set base in the lower reaches of an emotional river. After crossing an emotional ground you must stay far away from it. If your frenemy attacks with emotion, do not meet them in those waters. Instead, it is advantageous to strike them if they are halfway in. If you wish to ďŹ ght, do not meet them near emotional waters. Instead, select a place on a high ground.
Understand how to deal with danger
When you encounter unpredictable and fluctuating emotions, do not attempt to use logic to approach it, try to avoid it quickly. Avoid situations that are easy to get in, but hard to get out of. Keep away from wild lands, but let the enemy approach them. If you find your base filled with unresolved emotional issues, check to see if there are anything that will haunt you in the future.
Watch for signs
If he is based near you and yet remain composed, it is because his position is advantageous to him. If he is far away from you and yet to dare to come and challenge you to battle, it is because he wants to seduce you to make an advance. Everyone stations their base conveniently because there are practical advantages in doing so.
Interpret behavior
When they speak humbly while their behavior is still aggressive, they are going to advance. When they speak uncompromisingly and threatens to advance, they are actually going to retreat. When you see that they are making different arrangements then asks for a truce without making advance, it means that they have been plotting. When you see them ďŹ ghting with half-strength and half-retreat, that means that they are trying to decoy you. if they come angrily to meet you and confront you for a long time, neither ďŹ ghting nor retreating, you must watch cautiously what they are going to do. If they expresses their thanks in a mild tone, it indicates that they wish for truce.
Pay attention to change
Do they look hungry, or exhausted? if they made radical changes in the middle of the night, it means that they were frightened, if they becomee insecure, it is because they have lost conďŹ dence. If they start destroying their possessions it means that they are ready to ďŹ ght to the death.
Know how to treat people
When your frenemy gathers with others in small group and complain about you, it means that you have lost their support. If you reward them too often, you will be in a predicament, if you punish too frequently you will be in serious distress, if you treat them violently at ďŹ rst and then fear that they will betray you, then you are being extremely unintelligent.
Assess ďŹ rst, then attack
Being the stronger party does not give absolute superiority. Never advance recklessly by sheer force, but concentrate your next steps through a correct assessment of his disposition and you will defeat him. He who lacks careful thought and strategy and underestimates the enemy will surely be captured by the opponent.
Training for discipline
When you rashly punish before they have grown attached to you, they will not obey you. They will naturally be very difficult for you to command. When they have become attached to you, but you are too easy going, you won’t be able to command them. You should command with civility and humanity, take control and maintain discipline. If your requests are observed constantly and conscientiously, both parties will beneďŹ t and trust each other.
If you know the enemy and not fear the results of a hu
d know yourself, you need undred battles - Sun Tzu
10
The path to the heart
Friendly path Entrapping path Hindering path Narrow path Steep path Distant path
Friendly path
There are no unnecessary barriers here. This is a place where you can grow freely. When you are in this area you should analyze people’s motives carefully.
Entrapping path
This path is easy for you to enter, but difficult to get out from. In such a path, you can only strike when your frenemy is not prepared or else there is little chance to advance, even when you get closer, you live in fear.
Hindering path
This path is disadvantageous for both your frenemy and yourself. There will be an atmosphere of defeat, mental swamps and political division, it’s hard to simply just focus on the things at hand. Even if your frenemy gives bait, do not take it, pretend to retreat, strike when half-way in pursuit.
Narrow path
When on this path, ďŹ nd an unoccupied pathway that has not been blocked by your frenemy. From there ďŹ nd your way to advance.
Steep path
You should take a high position and wait for your frenemy to come. If they have control over it this path, you should not ďŹ ght over it.
Distant path
On this path, if you have the same strength level, it is certainly not easy to provoke a battle. Therefore it is to your disadvantage to ďŹ ght.
11
The nine grounds
Dispersive ground Frontier ground Contentious ground Open ground Focal ground Serious ground Difficult ground Encircled ground Desperate ground
Dispersive ground
This is your own territory. Unify your will, do not ďŹ ght here.
Frontier ground
This is when you have just entered enemy grounds. Don’t stop here, keep yourself alert and at top performance.
Contentious ground
This is land that is favorable for both your opponent and yourself. Never attack the party who is ready to claim the grounds. Hurry up to make yourself prepared.
Open ground
This land is accessible to both your frenemy and yourself. Don’t let communication get blocked. Defend yourself carefully.
Focal ground
Whoever gains control ďŹ rst will gain support of other peers. Form alliances.
Serious ground
You have penetrated through your frenemy’s deep inner grounds. Usually to get here you must ďŹ ght with the will of no return. When you get here, plunder for provisions.
Difficult ground
It is hard to make any moves here, pass through swiftly.
Encircled ground
This is where access is constricted and from which return requires making a detour, it is an opportunity to conquer someone who is stronger than you. When you are on these grounds, devise escape plans, block the points of access.
Desperate ground
You must make a speedy and desperate battle here. It will save your or else you will be destroyed. When you are on these grounds, you must be prepared to ďŹ ght to the end.
Know the enemy, know you in doubt, not in a hundred
Know Heaven, know Earth is complete.
urself, and victory is never d battles.
h, and your victory
- Sun Tzu
12
Fire Attack
Why? How to launch a ďŹ re attack When to launch the ďŹ re attack Follow up with an appropriate response Fire attacks should be handled in a prudent way
Why?
If you must use drastic measures, you can use ďŹ re attack. However, you should aim to get total victory. You must know clearly why you need to launch this attack.
How to launch a fire attack
There are five places where you can set fire: first mock their loved ones; second, degrade their acheivements; third, scoff their prideful belongings; fourth, shame their dreams, and fifth, insult their communication methods.
When to launch the ďŹ re attack
The suitable season for a ďŹ re attack is when the atmosphere between you is dry.
Follow up with an appropriate response
If you employ a ďŹ re attack you must adopt approprite response. When they are fuming and yet remain calm, you should bide your time and do not launch a followup attack. When the ames reach a height, you may follow up with an attack if you can, and do not if you cannot.
Fire attacks should be handled in a prudent way
A war should not be waged simply out of anger or indignation. When it is favourable to you, take action, when it is unfavourable, do not act. Generally speaking, one who is enraged will in time become happy, and he who is indignant will again become pleased but once something you have built together is perished, it is hard to revive, therefore ďŹ re attacks should be handled in a prudent way.
13
Using Spies
Importance of using spies On commanding spies The spy's job The spy operation
Importance of using spies
The way for you to defeat your frenemy is to foresee the development of war. Such fore-knowledge must be obtained from the people who clearly know their situation.
On commanding spies
None is more intimate than the spies who are close to them; of all rewards, none is more generous than those given to spies. If you want to engage with spies, you must be a sage. You must be fair and empathetic to command spies. If you are too careful and subtle then you cannot get truthful information from spies.
The Spy’s job
Instruct your spies to give you details: context, names, dates, locations.
The Spy Operation
When you ďŹ nd your frenemy has sent spies to stalk you, bribe them to serve you, at last they will become converted spies and work for you. Through these converted spies, you can obtain information about your frenemy and recruit more spies.
Conclusion
Throughout the text, you have been given the mindset and tactics based on Sun-zhu’s The Art of War, to be able to gain you objective in a more effective way. However for best results your basic intent should be out of righteousness and love, with those guiding principles as a base, you should be able to decide which tactics to use. At the end of the day, no one wants to ďŹ ght a war.