fandomhigh | The Art of War, Week #5 [Period 3, Monday]

Ghanima was keeping a careful watch on her students as they arrived today, making sure no one was still suffering from the lingering effects of last Thursday.

"Good morning. Today, we work with chapter four, often known as 'Tactical Dispositions'," she said, smiling at them as she hopped off her desk and walked over to the chalkboard. "Sun Tzu said: 'The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.'"

She picked the chalk up and began to write. "First, he claimed that 'to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.' This is excellent advice, as it reminds us that the enemy is never perfect, and that everyone, ourselves included, has a weakness. 'Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.'"

"'Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive,'" she recited, writing quickly. "'Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.'"

"So, how do we reconcile these differences?" she asked, looking at them. "How can you create a plan of attack for anything, not just combat, using Tzu's ideas? Wooing a romantic partner by using almost defensive-only tactics seems doomed to failure, as does using that mindset during a business transaction. We know from our earlier lesson that a prologued engagement benefits no one in the long run, why do you then think Tzu advocates waiting here?" Ghanima set down her chalk and turned around to face them fully. "I'd like you to get in small groups of two or three and discuss this, and try to come up with a non-combat situation where this would be a viable, and indeed desirable, strategy."

"Begin."

[OOC: OCD is up, have fun!]

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"Some mistake," Ino said, sounding impressed. "But, yeah, it does make it sound a bit simple to just say 'watch out for your mistakes', don't you think? I mean, really..."

"And watch out for other people who are watching your mistakes?" Ben added, sounding unsure. "Wow. Follow this and you're gonna end up paranoid."

Ino wrinkled her nose. "I mean, maybe paranoia is a good thing to an extent? It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you, and all of that? But I don't think anyone could keep an eye out like that all the time."

"Not and sleep ever," Ben said. "And what if you do something that makes sense at the time and turns out to be a mistake later? But sitting around passively can be just as big a mistake."

She nodded. "You can only use your best judgment of the situation as you know it to react. If you don't see any mistakes, and have done your best to make sure you haven't caused any... and you act, or don't act, and it all blows up in your face--what more can you do? At that point it'd just be minimizing the fall out."

Ben nodded a lot. "I guess this guy would prefer us to sit around and wait for someone else to do that first, though?"

"That seems like a way to just pointlessly extend battles," she said, frowning. "I mean, really, it's fine for the guy with the most supplies and everything, but everyone else--it'd get to the point where you've got to move, and I'd think it would be better to make that move before you've got to. More options that way."

"Absolutely," Ben said. "Jedi are taught to use our skills for knowledge and defense, but that doesn't mean we just sit around waiting to get hit."

That got a bit of a grin. "I don't think there's any military training that wants people to just be sitting ducks. I mean, yeah, waiting and scoping out the situation--a good thing. But only if you act too."

"If not, you're just a blowhard," Ben said, making a face.

She made a face to match his. "Or a coward--nothing's worse than seeing someone who could've made a difference do nothing just 'cause they were too scared to act. Didn't want to upset the balance. I'd rather someone who acts too much, over someone who doesn't act at all."

"Jedi go around and around and around on that," Ben said, rolling his eyes.

That got a sigh that was half a laugh. "How do Jedi ever get anything done, seriously?"

"We're really good at the fighting part," Ben said, "so it leaves us tons of time to bore ourselves to death on the details?"

Ino eyed him. "That sounds a lot like you guys are low on the 'how to have fun part'."

"You have no idea," Ben agreed.

"Right then," Ino said, with a confident toss of her head. "I'm totally dragging you out at some point to have fun."

"You won't have to drag me too hard," Ben said with a small smile. "I'm lots of fun."

Not really, no.

She gave him a tolerant smile. "You will be when I'm done with you. I'm good at the fun thing."

Ben grinned back, blushing slightly. "It's a plan."

The Art of War, Week #5 [Period 3, Monday]

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