Reading 04
The Art of War
孙子兵法
First secure yourself against defeat; then seek victory.
The Art of War is an ancient book about warfare, but I read it as a book about business and management. It is not a manual of schemes or tricks. Its deeper concern is how careful calculation, preparation, and judgment can place us beyond defeat before we attempt to win.
This changed the way I approach everyday decisions. My attention is not fixed only on achieving the best possible result. I first ask how to prevent the worst one. Before seeking success, I try to identify the conditions that could cause failure and remove them one by one. To me, this is the practical meaning of first securing oneself against defeat and then seeking victory.
I once spoke with Roy about this book. She was willing to listen to me explain its ideas, but she did not want to read the original herself—perhaps because it was written in classical Chinese. That experience reminded me that an old book may need to be retold in the language of a new generation. Sometimes a conversation is how a classic continues its journey.