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三十六计 Thirty-Six Stratagems Ancient ruses can still be useful
July 7, 2013, Sunday
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ALMOST all Chinese speakers know the famous "Thirty-Six Stratagems" and many apply these strategies or practical ruses in warfare, politics, business, gaming and even daily life. But no one knows for sure when the book was written and who was the author.
Many historians and scholars believe that the term "thirty-six stratagems" was first used in the biography of Tan Daoji (AD ?-436), a renowned general of the State of Song during the Southern Dynasty (AD 420-479) and that the book was compiled during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The book is divided into six chapters: Winning Stratagems, Enemy Dealing Stratagems, Attacking Stratagems, Chaos Stratagems, Proximate Stratagems and Desperate Stratagems, with each chapter containing six practical ploys.
In the first chapter, the author recommends six stratagems, such as killing with a borrowed knife, waiting at ease for a worn-out enemy, looting a house when it's on fire and making a feint to the east, but hitting out in the west.
The stratagem of killing with a borrowed knife sounds like a ploy to cover one's tracks in order to mislead hunters looking for the real perpetrator. However, the true meaning of this stratagem is to attack your enemy by using the forces or strength of a third party, or to entice your ally into attacking your enemy instead of doing it yourself.
Meanwhile, the stratagem of looting a house when it's on fire means to take advantage of the chaos when someone's house is on fire to steal the valuables. When it is applied in war and other circumstances, it takes on a much broader meaning.
According to this scheme, you should try to annex territory when your enemy's country is suffering from internal turmoil. You should take its people when it is being invaded by other forces. Finally, when the enemy's country is beset with both internal and external crises, you should mercilessly attack and destroy it.
In the second chapter, the most eye-catching stratagem is hiding a dagger behind a smile. Smiles are usually friendly, charming and disarming as well. So, it could also be deadly if someone follows this scheme and hides a lethal weapon behind a smile.
To defeat your enemy with a fatal strike, you need to get very close, and smiles could help you get there. Charming and ingratiating smiles can relax your enemy's vigilance if not even win his full trust. When your enemy is fooled enough by your smile to let you get close to him, you produce the hidden weapon and slay him in a surprise attack.
Another popular stratagem is contained in the fourth chapter, namely, fishing in muddied waters. This ruse means literally muddying the water so the fish will get confused and become easier to catch.
In a chaotic and confusing situation, this ploy could help to win over uncommitted forces involved in the conflict.
When an army is in panic, officers and soldiers will become disconcerted and divided. They look at each other in an attempt to sense the thought behind the face; they wink to someone or whisper into the ear of the one next to them. They begin to believe in rumors and disobey or ignore orders.
This is an indication of confusion and fear. But this is also the optimal time to persuade them to become an ally and to further press your advantage.
The last stratagem in the last chapter of the book advises people to retreat when everything fails.
In face of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy and seeing no chance to win the battle, to retreat is usually the best choice.
Surrender may represent a complete defeat; a compromise may mean a partial defeat; but to retreat is no defeat. As long as you are not defeated, you still retain a chance for victory in the future. This is the so-called "retreat-in-order-to-advance" principle.
Many historians and scholars believe that the term "thirty-six stratagems" was first used in the biography of Tan Daoji (AD ?-436), a renowned general of the State of Song during the Southern Dynasty (AD 420-479) and that the book was compiled during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The book is divided into six chapters: Winning Stratagems, Enemy Dealing Stratagems, Attacking Stratagems, Chaos Stratagems, Proximate Stratagems and Desperate Stratagems, with each chapter containing six practical ploys.
In the first chapter, the author recommends six stratagems, such as killing with a borrowed knife, waiting at ease for a worn-out enemy, looting a house when it's on fire and making a feint to the east, but hitting out in the west.
The stratagem of killing with a borrowed knife sounds like a ploy to cover one's tracks in order to mislead hunters looking for the real perpetrator. However, the true meaning of this stratagem is to attack your enemy by using the forces or strength of a third party, or to entice your ally into attacking your enemy instead of doing it yourself.
Meanwhile, the stratagem of looting a house when it's on fire means to take advantage of the chaos when someone's house is on fire to steal the valuables. When it is applied in war and other circumstances, it takes on a much broader meaning.
According to this scheme, you should try to annex territory when your enemy's country is suffering from internal turmoil. You should take its people when it is being invaded by other forces. Finally, when the enemy's country is beset with both internal and external crises, you should mercilessly attack and destroy it.
In the second chapter, the most eye-catching stratagem is hiding a dagger behind a smile. Smiles are usually friendly, charming and disarming as well. So, it could also be deadly if someone follows this scheme and hides a lethal weapon behind a smile.
To defeat your enemy with a fatal strike, you need to get very close, and smiles could help you get there. Charming and ingratiating smiles can relax your enemy's vigilance if not even win his full trust. When your enemy is fooled enough by your smile to let you get close to him, you produce the hidden weapon and slay him in a surprise attack.
Another popular stratagem is contained in the fourth chapter, namely, fishing in muddied waters. This ruse means literally muddying the water so the fish will get confused and become easier to catch.
In a chaotic and confusing situation, this ploy could help to win over uncommitted forces involved in the conflict.
When an army is in panic, officers and soldiers will become disconcerted and divided. They look at each other in an attempt to sense the thought behind the face; they wink to someone or whisper into the ear of the one next to them. They begin to believe in rumors and disobey or ignore orders.
This is an indication of confusion and fear. But this is also the optimal time to persuade them to become an ally and to further press your advantage.
The last stratagem in the last chapter of the book advises people to retreat when everything fails.
In face of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy and seeing no chance to win the battle, to retreat is usually the best choice.
Surrender may represent a complete defeat; a compromise may mean a partial defeat; but to retreat is no defeat. As long as you are not defeated, you still retain a chance for victory in the future. This is the so-called "retreat-in-order-to-advance" principle.
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