This class changed my outlook on life, history and what is yet to come.

The studies and teachings of so many great thinkers and philosophers

shaped the course of what became our future and each generation was
influenced by teachings, or writings from someone previous such as,
Socrates influencing Aristotle and Plato. One particular assignment that
caused me to ruminate were the writings by Sun Tzu, mainly The Art of War.
When starting this assignment I was in total disagreement of how War and
Business could be anything alike. Although with many things I understand it
is essential to read and write with an open mind to completely allow my
brain to comprehend and develop a different perspective from where I
started.
The Art of War is a longstanding Chinese text that dates back to the 5th
century. These writings consist of different aspects of warfare broken down
into thirteen sections. Although the writings are relatively old, the English
translation did not occur until the 1900s. To the Chinese these texts are
considered to be revered as one of the most influential writings for military
strategy.
Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
(Sun Tzu) This describes the significance of deception in War or in Business.

Deception is at the foundation of warfare. The Commander performs

dynamic thinking to outsmart the enemy by leading himself and his men to
cause the enemy to believe they are intended to do one thing, but in
actuality they will do the exact opposite. In Business deception still applies
in some situations, but should not be used to take advantage of customers
just to put themselves ahead.

Many times for people, including myself, strategy and tactics are used
interchangeably when they should not be. A strategy is a long-term outlook
where changes to the strategy occur less often. A tactic is typically a shortterm goal or plan that is used multiple times to achieve the strategy or end
goal in mind. These actions are very important to Business and War. In
Business strategy can be looked at as the company goals of the organization
such as, Increasing Profits. A tactic would be accomplished by an employee
who decided to find a different distributor to cut some costs. Whereas within
War not every tactic is going to be successful even when each tactic has
been used to achieve an end strategy.
What happens when there are surprises? The battlefield will always
need tactical flexibility. There is never a way to plan for everything. The
same goes for variables in the market. There can be shortages or
unexpected competition. In both scenarios it is key to thoroughly
understand your company and limit conflict to a minimum.
These parallels between deception and strategies were where I really
began to see how Business and War were very much alike. While each of
them requires physical action to be effective, I realized the intellectual
importance is even more imperative. If even the strongest people went to
war without any pre-emptive thought the odds of them winning are stacked
highly against them. A Business will not remain successful if it does not
adapt to changes in the market or with competition. Strategies and Tactics,
Goals and Plans need to be in place before any action can be carried out in
hopes of success or victory.

The time and effort put into my work for this class exceeds further than
most classes I can remember. It took me increased determination to get
through some of the readings and questions. I had to take breaks many
times to complete a single assignment. At times it was extremely frustrating
to read about opinions or theories that I disagreed with, while being opened
minded to facts and truths that philosophers have studied. To write
objectively so often was something new I had to improve upon quickly.
This class was so much different than what I had anticipated. I have
always had a hard time getting into history and finding it interesting. After
a few months of this class I started seeing that I was learning beyond facts
and information. My writing and comprehension were coming together
quicker. Most of the readings caught my attention and helped me visualize
and appreciate the past experiences of people and why they are important.
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. (Sun Tzu) When I
didnt understand how a certain subject pertained to a topic in the beginning,
over time I realized the opportunity in doing something that is challenging is
worth it. The reward may be something unexpected, like for me, a new way
of writing and a new appreciation for influential people of the past.