The Art Of War Reaction Paper

Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War, wrote one of the oldest and famous books to be written in history. The Art of War, is a Chinese military treatise that has become more than just for military use, it’s utilized in almost all aspects of today’s world. Businesses, sports, politics, education, and so many more have interpreted The Art of War and used it in their everyday lives. The Art of War portrays fighting as a guide serving a dual purpose, suggesting that strategy is not just useful for fighting but for achieving success in life.

There are many quotes by Sun Tzu that relates my personal struggles and accomplishments over the course of my life. “Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can? ” (Tzu) Sun Tzu is saying so many people never allow themselves to reach their full potential or to obtain all that they can. The possibilities are endless. If you were able to achieve one thing, why stop? Keep going until you have it all. Throughout my life, everyday has been one challenge after another. At the age of 12, I fell into peer pressure, made bad friends who did bad things and started to steal hundreds of dollars from my own mother.

My grades started to drop from a 95 to a 67 average. The day I got caught stealing money from my mother was the slap in the face that I needed. The look on her face and the tears that came to her eyes from disappointment and heartache brought me to a realization of: Is this the path that I’m headed down? Is this all I will be? I’ve had aspirations of becoming rich and successful since birth. Everyone falls in a slump now and then, but it’s the ability to come out from there that determines your strength. I knew this wasn’t all I could be a delinquent who steals from her own mother.

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I sought the help that I needed, I found myself again, and I grew up. My full potential has yet to stop growing and has yet to be reached. Sun Tzu says if you’re able to do all that you can you’d be unstoppable. If I would’ve stayed on that negative path, I would’ve never graduated high school, I would’ve never attended college, and I would’ve amounted into nothing but a drop out who works part-time at job with no growth. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized. ” (Tzu) In correlation with the first quote, Tzu expresses the need to take advantage of all the opportunities given in order to grow.

Whether it’s taking that entry level job or doing an internship, more opportunities will be presented to you. When I finally reach the level of “doing all I can” I know it’ll be somewhere at the top, making millions, and making my parents and myself proud. Sun Tzu once said, “Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack. ” (Tzu) You can’t fight for something if you’re taken out of the game; you got to stay alive to fight. When I was a kid, I got bullied a lot for my weight. The fat jokes, you bet, I heard it. Kids can be the cruelest sometimes.

Almost every day it was a struggle to go to school when there was that one person that would tease you constantly, there was that one boy that didn’t like you because of how much you weighed, and there was always the group of kids with a ring leader that led the pack. My father once told me, the best offense is defense. Sun Tzu also said something very similar, “To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. ” (Tzu) By allowing these kids to get into my head would mean they won. However, the teasing, naming calling, and bullying, only made me stronger.

Instead of reacting to their actions, I remained still. Sun Tzu describes defense as invincibility. He’s right. When one person is attacking another, the best thing for the other person to do is keep their hands and arms in front of their face and defend themselves until the other person eventually wares out. The bully who continually attacks will eventually ware out, and then the opportunity strikes to attack. When the kids made fun of me, I let them; I didn’t pay any attention to what they were saying. I kept my defense up, and eventually they grew tired. In my case, invincibility was my victory, my attack.

My offense was my defense. “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted. ” (Tzu) The key things that come to mind when I hear this quote is diversity and teamwork. Diversity, a term not to describe just human race but diversity in mind sets, personality, and ideas.

Teamwork is working together to achieve something great. Sun Tzu’s expression in the combination of five musical notes give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard is saying with diversity and teamwork can arise something beyond great. Strength comes in numbers. At Johnson & Wales, working in teams and groups is what they’re infamous for. In my personal experience, not every group work resulted in greatness; however I’ve had some positive experience. In my tradeshow class there’s five individuals, with five distinctive personalities, in one group working on a term project.

It may seem chaotic; on the contrary, it had amazing results. I expressed some ideas about what to do for tradeshow ideas, and then other members of the team would heighten my ideas to areas that I would’ve never even considered. Working together didn’t always work, but for the most part it did. Our different personalities and ideas ended up coming together harmoniously. If there is the right combination of people and ideas, it can only lead to greatness. In the real world, companies and businesses look for diversity but at the same time people who will mesh well together.

Harmony in diversity is key. Leaders aren’t made, they’re born. It could be a Virgo trait or a Korean trait, however my desire for perfection has lead me to take leadership in anything I do. On the other hand, being a leader isn’t solely run on perfection but the admiration of followers I would have. “A leader leads by example not by force. ” (Tzu) A great leader doesn’t force direction upon their followers, instead gives a firm push to the right direction. I have many younger cousins that look up to me. One specifically, wants to do everything I do, I’m her role model.

Where it’s flattering, it’s also a lot of pressure. As a leader in her eyes, it’s been my job to “lead by example. She’s aware of my past life challenges and troubles I’ve come across. Instead of telling her not to do this or that, I needed to show her. It would make me a hypocrite to tell her she shouldn’t engage in underage drinking, smoking, cutting school, etc. Instead, guide her into making the right choices, making the choices that I should’ve made myself, and saving her the trouble of going through the hardships I’ve went through.

For a teenager, force will not result in a parent's favoritism but will lead for the teenager to stray away. Most parents force their kids to do the “right thing” but they don’t practice what they preach. I’ve been trying to set the right example for my little cousin. Nothing should be done through fear or force because than true admiration from your followers won’t be achieved. Many people interpret The Art of War very literally. Believing the book is on war tactics and military strategies. In actuality, it’s so much more.

It is about fighting your inner demons, developing a strategy for success and being the best you can possibly be. Sun Tzu’s words on traditional military tactics correlates to almost every aspect in the world today. Whether it’s dominating in politics, business, education, or in life as a whole, one thing is certain; power, victory, and honor can all be achieved if one fights hard enough for it.

Work Cited

1. Tzu, Sun, and Lionel Giles. The Art of War. El Paso, TX: El Paso Norte, 2005. Good Reads. Good Reads Inc. Web.

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