Summary
This chapter is about attack selection and adaptability. The skilled strategist chooses where and when to engage, attacking weaknesses rather than strengths. They impose their will rather than reacting to the enemy's. Sun Tzu emphasizes speed and first-mover positioning. Whoever arrives first controls the terrain; whoever arrives second is already at disadvantage. The skilled general 'marches swiftly to places where he is not expected.' The chapter's most famous passage describes water: 'Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows.' The successful strategist is similarly adaptable—formless, responding to circumstances rather than following rigid plans. There are no fixed tactics; everything depends on reading and responding to the situation.
Coming Up in Chapter 7
Sun Tzu covers the complexities of army maneuvering and the dangers of rigid formation...
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An excerpt from the original text.(~173 words)
Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. This chapter is about attack selection and adaptability. The skilled strategist chooses where and when to engage, attacking weaknesses rather than strengths. They impose their will rather than reacting to the enemy's. Sun Tzu emphasizes speed and first-mover positioning. Whoever arrives first controls the terrain; whoever arrives second is already at disadvantage. The skilled general 'marches swiftly to places where he is not expected.' The chapter's most famous passage describes water: 'Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows.' The successful strategist is similarly adaptable—formless, responding to circumstances rather than following rigid plans. There are no fixed tactics; everything depends on reading and responding to the situation.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Attack Selection
Deliberately choosing to engage where opponents are weak rather than where they're strong—finding the path of least resistance like water.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
The discipline of choosing where to compete—attacking weakness rather than strength, imposing your terms rather than accepting the enemy's.
Practice This Today
Map your competitive landscape. Where are competitors strongest? Weakest? Where could you attack that they're not defending?
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Imposing your will
Controlling the terms, timing, and location of engagement
Modern Usage:
Setting the agenda in negotiations, defining what the competition is about
Formlessness
Adaptability that prevents the enemy from predicting or targeting you
Modern Usage:
Flexibility in strategy, willingness to pivot, avoiding predictable patterns
Characters in This Chapter
Sun Tzu
Strategist teaching attack selection
Reveals that choosing WHERE to engage is as important as how
Modern Equivalent:
The entrepreneur who doesn't compete on competitors' terms but redefines the game
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him."
Context: The essence of strategic initiative
Dictating terms is decisive advantage. Reacting to others' terms is already losing.
In Today's Words:
Set the agenda. If you're just responding to what they do, you've already lost the initiative.
"Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing."
Context: Teaching adaptability through the metaphor of water
Rigid tactics fail. Successful strategy adapts to circumstances.
In Today's Words:
Don't follow a fixed playbook. Adapt to what's actually in front of you.
"Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak."
Context: Explaining attack selection through natural metaphor
Attack weakness, not strength. Like water finding the path of least resistance.
In Today's Words:
Don't attack where they're strong. Find the gap, the weakness, the undefended point.
Thematic Threads
Adaptability
In This Chapter
The formlessness of water as the model for strategy
Development
Adaptability becomes a recurring theme—no fixed tactics
In Your Life:
Are you flexible enough to change approach when circumstances change?
Deception
In This Chapter
Being 'formless' prevents the enemy from targeting you
Development
Unpredictability as a form of protection
In Your Life:
Are you too predictable? Could competitors easily anticipate your next move?
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why do so many companies and people insist on competing where others are strongest?
analysis • medium - 2
What competitor weakness could you attack that you're currently ignoring?
application • medium - 3
How can you become more 'formless'—less predictable—in your competitive approach?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Weakness Map
Map competitor weaknesses in your field.
Consider:
- •Where do they underperform? What do they do poorly?
- •What segments do they neglect? What needs do they ignore?
- •Where are they slow, expensive, or inflexible?
- •Which of these weaknesses could you attack?
Journaling Prompt
Describe how you could 'be like water' in a current competitive situation—flowing around strength to attack weakness.
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 7: Maneuvering
The coming pages reveal to turn disadvantage into advantage through creative maneuvering, and teach us the dangers and complexities of operational movement. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.