33 Strategies of War

Six fundamental principles mentioned by "Robert Greene" in his book "33 Strategies of War" that you should aspire to in transforming yourself into a strategic fighter in your daily life:

1- Look at things in their natural size, not as your emotions portray them to you. You should consider your emotional reactions as a kind of disease that you must rid yourself of. Love and emotion will blind you to the maneuvers taking place around you, perhaps even by those close to you. Fear will make you see things in an exaggerated way, to overestimate the size of your enemy, and to have defensive reactions. Anger will lead you to act impulsively, ruining your choices. The solution is to control your emotional reactions, and to see things realistically without exaggeration or emotional influence. When you achieve success, be cautious and avoid arrogance. When you are afraid, know that you will magnify the issues you face. When you are angry, do not make any decisions. War requires you to be more realistic; the more you can rid yourself of your emotional feelings and replace them, the closer you are to the strategic model.

2-Judge people by their actions, not their words. There is no sufficient talk in wars to justify failure. You should apply this in your life, judge people by their actions, not their words. Everyone can speak well. Everyone may offer to help you, but few will actually do so. What people say about themselves is not as important as what they do. People say everything and the opposite. You should apply this approach to yourself. Do not blame the opponent, as speaking does not help when you are defeated. Just do something new and prepare for the next maneuver. Words will not be of any help.

3-Rely on your arms. People often rely on things that seem easy, have been used before, networks of relationships, wealth, power, technology, and its accompanying features. This means you need to be resourceful and mechanical. Strategic thinking lies in possessing your internal sources of power and intelligence because all other means may be taken from you at some point. Your mind will then be armed, something no one can take from you. In the midst of any crisis, your mind will find a way out. As Sun Tzu said: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

4-Use intelligence, not force. You can turn your opponent's strength and violence against them, making their aggression their downfall. Always stay one step ahead, taking indirect and unexpected steps. Your goal is to blend war with philosophy, wisdom, and battle towards an unbeatable mix.

5-Rise above the battlefield. You need to move away from the reactive framework your opponent has put you in to a long-range vision. Strategic thinking is about long-term goals, planning the entire conflict, directing the scene according to your goals. Most of us are tactical, focusing only on small battles, restricting ourselves. This is not strategic thinking. Strategic thinking enables you to soar above the battlefield, moving lightly to see the future of your conflict, your strengths, and how to achieve your long-term goals. Tacticians are burdened and stuck on the ground, while strategists are light, able to see a broader and farther range.

6-Infuse your war with a spiritual dimension. The greatest wars are the ones you wage on yourself, your emotions, weaknesses, and lack of clarity in seeing things through. You must declare a war that doesn't stop on yourself until you gain self-confidence, courage, and experience. Instead of suppressing and concealing your fears, face them. You want more challenges all the time until you reach the desired warrior spirit.

Strategy is not just about knowledge but a different way of thinking and dealing with reality and life. It's the application of all our knowledge in our lives to achieve the desired vision and goals.