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Make ☮.com, not war

5/31/2017

☮.com

"To achieve a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence; to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence." Sun Tzu's Art of War

We at Sonshi.com are proud to announce today that we are now the stewards of ☮.com! To say we are honored is an understatement.

☮.com is one of the first three emoji domain names ever registered on the internet. For those not familiar with emoji, they are "ideograms and smileys used in electronic messages and Web pages. Emoji are used much like emoticons and exist in various genres, including facial expressions, common objects, places and types of weather, and animals."

Sonshi's emoji is ☮.

As students of Sun Tzu, we understand the objective of understanding warfare is peace. Even when we are forced to do battle, we want to end it quickly. If possible, it is best to prevent fighting altogether. There are few symbols that represent peace and are as recognizable as ☮.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, ☮ will speak in one image what Sonshi's mission is all about. Therefore, ☮.com will be an integral part of Sonshi.com from now on. Stay tuned for some exciting future developments!

Peace around the world seems impossible, but it is indeed possible if it starts in each and every corner of the world. Continue with us on the journey to make the world a more peaceful place, one corner at a time. Thank you for all your support and encouragement over the years.

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Why halfway is insufficient if not dangerous

5/27/2017

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Sonshi.com: Don't stop halfway

[04.02] Those skilled in warfare can make themselves invincible, but cannot necessarily cause the enemy to be vulnerable. Therefore it is said one may know how to win but cannot necessarily do it.

It is often misunderstood that Sun Tzu said victory would be assured if you know yourself and you know your enemy. A more accurate understanding of his advice is knowing yourself and knowing your enemy might ensure your safety but it doesn't guarantee defeat of the other side. The other side might be led by someone wise. It would thus only provide you opportunities in the future for victory.

Guarantees in life are rare, especially when interests clash. And so it is not surprising to learn that guaranteeing victory in a combative situation isn't easy; it cannot be accomplished by securing only two variables: you and your opponent. According to Sun Tzu, it would also require a clear advantage in the environment you and your competition operate under. For example, the environment can represent the current legal, political, and social shifts that are in your favor. Otherwise, Sun Tzu advises, achieving success based on only knowing yourself and the competition would still depend on a little bit of luck, perhaps with odds not much better than a toss of coin:

[10.21] If I know the troops can attack, but do not know the enemy cannot attack, my victory is half.
[10.22] If I know the enemy can be attacked, but do not know the troops cannot attack, my victory is half.
[10.23] If I know the enemy can be attacked, and know the troops can attack, but do not know the ground in battle, my victory is half.
[10.24] Therefore, one who knows how to advance the army is limitless when taking action.
[10.25] Therefore I say, if you know the enemy and know yourself, the victory is not at risk. If you know the Heaven and you know the Ground, the victory is complete.

Therefore, by not knowing the landscape and securing a strong position there, the odds are not in your favor. And for a matter as grave and serious as warfare, it would be downright evil to act without making sure that you are capable, the enemy incapable, and the environment are conducive to your cause, strategy, and effort.

If there are relevant variables that affect a critical outcome for you, it would be a waste if you neglect to first gain advantages in them all before committing valuable and limited resources. Although you cannot control everything since not everything is controllable, you must be superior in those factors that are manageable or under your control.

By not trying to be fully prepared and ready, there are times when being halfway can leave you vulnerable:

[09.02] After crossing a river, you must stay far away from it. If the enemy crosses a river, do not meet him in the water. When half of his forces has crossed, it will then be advantageous to strike.

There are times, then, you must be patient and not move before you are proficient. Because if you take action before you are able to produce a positive result, you will end up further behind than you were before. This is worse than staying still. Work hard to prepare and tie any loose ends, and go the extra mile necessary to outcompete your competition.

[04.06] Perceiving a victory when it is perceived by all is not the highest excellence.

Due to the extraordinary care you put into your efforts, overcoming problems along the way and achieving your goal would be that much sweeter and satisfying. You gain more than a goal. You gain tremendous pride and self-respect. Therefore, don't stop halfway if you want to go farther. Don't pause when you can continue on your path to complete victory, the highest excellence of all.

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Sun Tzu on making mistakes

5/21/2017

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Sonshi.com: "Mistakes are a part of life but we can learn from them"

Making mistakes in life is common, a mark of growing up and a passage to maturity. Most mistakes aren't fatal and are lessons in tolerance, creativity, and gratitude. When a boy named James accidentally breaks a leg of his favorite giraffe toy, it is no longer new, but it is still a toy nonetheless. A three-legged giraffe can stand tall just the same as a four-legged one.

Furthermore, when matters are sufficiently in place, despite them not being perfect, we must take action and not be afraid of making mistakes. “The only man who makes no mistakes," Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Is the man who never does anything."

However, there is this other extreme perspective, a philosophy centered on a motivational, shoot now and aim later, "not giving a f---" bent. Not only are mistakes expected, but they are also encouraged, and if necessary, even manufactured. Rich and famous people are often quoted to promote such behavior without context or background.

"If one gains victory in battle and is successful in attacks, but does not exploit those achievements, it is disastrous. This is called waste and delay." Sun Tzu's Art of War [12.07]

Sun Tzu indeed advocates speed and gaining a first-mover advantage. But that isn't the same as acting before planning. The people and companies that promote actively making mistakes can usually afford to make mistakes because they have surplus and vast resources. People and companies that are starting out with limited resources following such philosophy will not likely survive. Sound strategies depend on caution.

"No miscalculations mean the victories are certain, achieving victory over those who have already lost." Sun Tzu's Art of War [04.10]

Especially relevant to those from a disadvantaged or precarious situation, Sun Tzu's advice to only fight the battles we can win will ensure we will survive another day and deliberately grow stronger in the process. Without such prudence and given our position or situation, one mistake could be our last. But even if we are strong and in a favorable position, his advice remains beneficial because it prevents us from taking things for granted and allowing a competitor to later gain an upper hand.

"Those skilled in warfare establish positions that make them invincible and do not miss opportunities to attack the enemy." Sun Tzu's Art of War [04.11]

To Sun Tzu, safety comes first, even when he's talking about opportunities. Opportunities come and go, but being careless and impatient could prove fatal. No amount of reward is worth that price.

"Therefore, a victorious army first obtains conditions for victory, then seeks to do battle. A defeated army first seeks to do battle, then obtains conditions for victory." Sun Tzu's Art of War [04.12]

When emotions are high, we can't help but want to get started. While it's possible that we can somehow manage the situation as it happens, it is less likely that we will prevail when our opponent is better prepared for that situation than we are. And since we cannot assume the competition will not be prepared, it is always an unwise decision to enter into an endeavor without planning and practice.

"One who knows when he can fight, and when he cannot fight, will be victorious." Sun Tzu's Art of War [03.18]

If a goal is worthwhile, it would be crazy to not put every ounce of effort and resource into making it a success from start to finish. We read the tedious contracts and manuals from cover to cover. We try to anticipate the possible questions and concerns of others. We go the extra mile to make even a small improvement and impression. With such a hefty investment, we would naturally know whether or not we are ready and able to challenge the competition. It is only when we don't put in the effort would we have the audacity to be reckless because we haven't much to lose. Just as well, because there wouldn't be much to gain.

"A smaller army that is inflexible will be captured by a larger one." Sun Tzu's Art of War [03.12]

Being cautious and conservative doesn't necessarily mean being rigid. To ensure safety, it is always wise to flex with changes in the environment so we don't fall behind the curve and leave ourselves exposed to unnecessary risks. Analogous to Sun Tzu's quote above, only a large tree is strong enough to oppose the wind, but grass and plants need to flex with the wind lest they break.

"To march over a thousand kilometers without becoming distressed, march over where the enemy is not present." Sun Tzu's Art of War [06.05]

"Contemplating the advantages, he fulfills his calculations; contemplating the disadvantages, he removes his difficulties." Sun Tzu's Art of War [08.08]

"On difficult ground, I press on quickly." Sun Tzu's Art of War [11.52]

The leader should be allergic to mistakes as he or she is to entering into difficult situations. There is no glory in prevailing in a tough situation when it could have been prevented in the first place. It is not easy to identify and avoid trouble. We must pay close attention and extrapolate the significant effects from the seemingly insignificant causes. In other words, we strive to alleviate frowns so that wars could not take root. All the while, we conserve energy, build strength, and most importantly, we don't create unnecessary grief and suffering for ourselves and those around us.

"An army does not have constant force or have constant formation. Those who are able to adapt and change in accord with the enemy and achieve victory are called divine." Sun Tzu's Art of War [06.35]

"Do not thwart an enemy retreating home. If you surround the enemy, leave an outlet; do not press an enemy that is cornered." Sun Tzu's Art of War [07.26]

Alexander Pope wrote in An Essay on Criticism, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.” Sun Tzu's benevolence is doubly sharp. On one side is a wisdom so impervious that failure is practically impossible; there is no discussion on how to cope with failure in the entire Art of War book because it is a given one does not fail if the principles are truly followed. On the other side is a wisdom so spiritual that failure for the competition is also impossible; the winner is divinely chosen to take care of All-Under-Heaven, even for those who oppose you. There are no enemies, since no one can compare to your strength in force, fortitude, or philosophy.

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Make ☮.com, not war

Why halfway is insufficient if not dangerous

Sun Tzu on making mistakes

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