Variation in Tactics

1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the
sovereign, collects his army and concentrates his forces.

Even those in charge follow orders. (Real world example: The CEO of a big
business still needs to follow government regulations).

2. When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads

intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated
positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In
desperate position, you must fight.

Try to solve problems quickly, using the help of others. Fight when you have
to. (Real world example: When you take a loan, you try to pay it back as
quickly as possible).

3. There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not
attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be
contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

Know when to use your plans and when not to. Sometimes it is best not to
try. (Real world example: A middle school wrestler only wrestles at the
middle school level, training to gain the ability to wrestle in high school).

4. The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany

variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.

First understand the situation, and your methods of winning, then handle your
resources accordingly. (Real world example: When writing a paper, the first
thing you do is research what you are writing about, understand it thoroughly,
and lastly write it. In all more time is spent researching than writing).
5. The general who does not understand these, may be well acquainted with
the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge
to practical account.
6. So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his
plans, even though he be acquainted with the Five Advantages, will fail to
make best use of his men.

If you don't understand the situation; you may have resources, but they will
be of no use because you have no viable plan. (Real world example: You
can't write a paper that gets a good grade unless you research your topic first).

7. Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of

disadvantage will be blended together.

Therefore a good leader will consider both advantages and disadvantages

simultaneously.

8. If our expectations of advantage be tempered in this way, we may succeed

in accomplishing the essential part of our schemes.

If a leader suppresses his expectations of success, and rather weighs the

chances of both success and defeat, then he will have a better chance of
achieving his most important goals. (Real world example: The news rarely
talks about an event going well, but rather they talk about everything that
didn't go well).

9. If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to
seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

If you seize every advantage that you can when you are in problematic times,
you will have a better chance of achieving what you want. (Real world
example: You need to pay off a debt, so you take the best paying jobs, and
work hard to gain raises to eventually gain enough revenue to pay off your
debt).

10. Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; make trouble for
them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and
make them rush to any given point.

Make your opponent do what you want them to without them realizing. (Real
world example: In chess, you try to trick your opponent into revealing
openings for you to win with checkmate. You do this without them
realizing).

11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not
coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not
attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

Rely on preparation, not on good fortune. (Real world example: I wrote this
in my article called: Ideas I've had About Combining Steem With Minecraft
Based On A Server I Played On Over the Summer. Here is what I wrote "This
server is basically playing Minecraft, and doing the soul functions of the
game (mining, building, and living) to earn a virtual currency that has no
value in the real world. After playing this server (and gambling away around
200 million dollars of said currency). . ." That right there is an example of
relying on good fortune :(

12. These are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1)
Recklessness, which leads to destruction; (2) cowardice, which leads to
capture; (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; (4) a delicacy
of honor which is sensitive to shame; (5) over-solicitude for his men, which
exposes him to worry and trouble.
13. These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of
war.
Those are the five mistakes a leader should not make.

14. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be
found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.