MODERN ASIAN THOUGHTS BLOG #4
Choose Thy Battles Wisely
“A wise king never seeks out war,
but he must always be ready for it.”
Odin, the father of Thor, uttered these wise words in the Marvel film Thor (2011). War indeed must never be the first recourse of a leader. She or he must first exhaust the available peaceful means (e.g., dialogue, peace talks) before resorting to the use of force. Unnecessary violence which leads to the destruction of lives and property may be avoided with such means. However, as Odin puts it, the leader must always be ready for it since peace may not always be the enduring status quo. Someone might choose violence.
In the unlikely event of war, it is better for us to be the party who is prepared. I am not only talking about the common notion of war (i.e., the violent conflict between nations), but also about the various battles one fights in life. The quotation above would suggest that a wise person does not instigate war, but s/he is the one who choose which battles to fight. In other words, one must seize control of the situation. This is where Sun Tzu’s Art of War comes in.
The first chapter of the Art of War teaches us about “Laying Plans” which puts great emphasis on planning. For a wise person to win the battles in life, s/he must put great emphasis on planning, first and foremost, the intricacies of the steps to be taken. One could not just tackle the situation head on without any game plan and contingencies in place. Paying attention to the minute details is essential in order to see the holes in one’s plans.
In sum: Choose thy battles wisely, and come prepared.