The 33 Strategies of War
I'm actually trying something new. It's a kinda popular trend that has been sweeping the nation ever since um...it was humanly possible. It's called reading. Yeah. Reading books. One thing about me that I can't friggin' stand is my inadequacy to read a book in its entirety. I can list off the top of my head the endless list of books that I have failed to complete. Sure it's cool to walk into Borders and buy a fresh, crisp book. I lie to myself and swear that I will read it every day. I read the first couple of chapters. Then the book goes into this slump of ridiculous nonsense where the author starts to ramble about mindless bullshit. At this point in the book, I have drifted off into a distant slumber. The book carelessly slides off the bed and it collects dust on the bookshelf. Now and then I may walk past the book, stare at it, think of all the good times we had, and then continue on with my life. Sometimes I debate with myself and make excuses. "Uh Jade, come on, you paid twelve dollars for that book last year, and you have yet to finish it! Do you know how far twelve dollars can get you in this dwindling economy? Okay okay...I know, a glass of wine would be really nice right now...yeah, and if you drink wine then you're gonna fall asleep so there's no point in picking up that book. And besides, you should get to bed as early as possible because you have to work tomorrow." DAMN YOU, JADE! DAMN YOU FOR PREVENTING ME FROM EXPANDING MY KNOWLEDGE AND MY INTEREST OF LITERATURE! This is how I look at it: think of a book as a bowl of Lucky Charms (yeah yeah, magically delicious). There's the shitty, boring cardboard pieces and then there's sweet, orgasmic marshmallow charms daintily floating and smiling up at you. You know damn well when you were little, your ass ate all the marshmallows and left the soggy cardboard pieces floating in the pink-stained milk. That's how books are for me. These days, books are filled with bullshit, cardboard. I want my orgasmic marshmallows when I read!
Okay so here is where I was going with this crazy lil' blog: My co-worker found a book at work one day, and none of us knew where it came from or who it belonged to. So, out of curiousity, she brought it home, read it, and loved it. After she told me about the book, I was hooked by the concept of the book's message. I've had it now for about a week, and I actually like it. No bullshit rambling. Just pure interesting facts. It's called 'The 33 Strategies of War'. Initially, it sounds like a lame book sponsored by the History Channel, right? No, my friend. You're wrong. It's actually a self-help book disguised by a lame title. Tricky, tricky. It teaches you how to evaluate conflicts and struggles throughout life in a practical and strategic manner, without making rash, immoral decisions which may lead to unpleasant outcomes. I wanna read to you a part of the preface so you can get a general sense of how the book is written and the direction in which it takes:
..The world has become increasingly competitive and nasty. In politics, business, even the arts, we face opponents who will do almost anything to gain an edge. More troubling and complex, however, are the battles we face with those who are supposedly on our side. There are those who outwardly play the team game, who act very friendly and agreeable, but who sabotage us behind the scenes, use the group to promote their own agenda. Others, more difficult to spot, play subtle games of passive aggression, offering help that never comes, instilling guilt as a secret weapon. On the surface everything seems peaceful enough, but just below it, it is every man and woman for him- or herself, this dynamic infecting even families and relationships. The culture may deny this reality and promote a genler picture, but we know it and feel it, in our battle scars...
As I continue to read this book, it teaches me to step back and analyze situations and conflicts for what they really are. The book states there are six fundamental ideals you should aim for in transforming yourself into a strategic warrior in daily life. They are:
I am quite fond of the first point. Many of my friends can testify that I am very quick to let my emotions take over me. I have to keep reminding myself that "IN STRATEGY, YOU MUST SEE YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO EVENTS AS A KIND OF DISEASE THAT MUST BE REMEDIED. FEAR WILL MAKE YOU OVERESTIMATE THE ENEMY. ANGER AND IMPATIENCE WILL DRAW YOU INTO RASH ACTIONS. LOVE WILL BLIND YOU TO THE TREACHEROUS MANUEVERS OF THOSE APPARENTLY ON YOUR SIDE...THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO BE AWARE THAT THE PULL OF EMOTION IS INEVITABLE, TO NOTICE IT WHEN IT IS HAPPENING, AND TO COMPENSATE FOR IT."
So today, friends, not only do I CHALLENGE you to take into consideration all these key points in becoming a better warrior in life's challenges thrown at you every day, but I also challenge you to discover a great book. You never know, you might find your bowl of marshmallows like I have :)
Okay so here is where I was going with this crazy lil' blog: My co-worker found a book at work one day, and none of us knew where it came from or who it belonged to. So, out of curiousity, she brought it home, read it, and loved it. After she told me about the book, I was hooked by the concept of the book's message. I've had it now for about a week, and I actually like it. No bullshit rambling. Just pure interesting facts. It's called 'The 33 Strategies of War'. Initially, it sounds like a lame book sponsored by the History Channel, right? No, my friend. You're wrong. It's actually a self-help book disguised by a lame title. Tricky, tricky. It teaches you how to evaluate conflicts and struggles throughout life in a practical and strategic manner, without making rash, immoral decisions which may lead to unpleasant outcomes. I wanna read to you a part of the preface so you can get a general sense of how the book is written and the direction in which it takes:
..The world has become increasingly competitive and nasty. In politics, business, even the arts, we face opponents who will do almost anything to gain an edge. More troubling and complex, however, are the battles we face with those who are supposedly on our side. There are those who outwardly play the team game, who act very friendly and agreeable, but who sabotage us behind the scenes, use the group to promote their own agenda. Others, more difficult to spot, play subtle games of passive aggression, offering help that never comes, instilling guilt as a secret weapon. On the surface everything seems peaceful enough, but just below it, it is every man and woman for him- or herself, this dynamic infecting even families and relationships. The culture may deny this reality and promote a genler picture, but we know it and feel it, in our battle scars...
As I continue to read this book, it teaches me to step back and analyze situations and conflicts for what they really are. The book states there are six fundamental ideals you should aim for in transforming yourself into a strategic warrior in daily life. They are:
- Look at things as they are, not as your emotions color them
- Judge people by their actions.
- Depend on your own arms (True strategy is psychological-a matter of intelligence, not material force)
- Worship Athena, not Ares (Ares was the god of war at its most direct and brutal form, whilst Athena fought with intelligence and subtlety)
- Elevate yourself above the battlefield
- Spiritualize your warfare (The greatest battle of all is with yourself--your weaknesses, your emotions, your lack of resolution in seeing things through the end. You must declare unceasing war on yourself)
I am quite fond of the first point. Many of my friends can testify that I am very quick to let my emotions take over me. I have to keep reminding myself that "IN STRATEGY, YOU MUST SEE YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO EVENTS AS A KIND OF DISEASE THAT MUST BE REMEDIED. FEAR WILL MAKE YOU OVERESTIMATE THE ENEMY. ANGER AND IMPATIENCE WILL DRAW YOU INTO RASH ACTIONS. LOVE WILL BLIND YOU TO THE TREACHEROUS MANUEVERS OF THOSE APPARENTLY ON YOUR SIDE...THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO BE AWARE THAT THE PULL OF EMOTION IS INEVITABLE, TO NOTICE IT WHEN IT IS HAPPENING, AND TO COMPENSATE FOR IT."
So today, friends, not only do I CHALLENGE you to take into consideration all these key points in becoming a better warrior in life's challenges thrown at you every day, but I also challenge you to discover a great book. You never know, you might find your bowl of marshmallows like I have :)