Ghanima Atreides (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
atreideslioness) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2016-02-02 10:29 pm
atreideslioness) wrote in fandomhigh2016-02-02 10:29 pm
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Diplomacy, Relationships, & Tactics: The Art of War, Week 5 [Wednesday, Period 2]
There were tables set up around the classroom today with board games, as well as a couple of computer workstations.
"So," Tahiri said when everyone appeared to be present, "we're going to talk about tactical disposition today. What Sun Tzu had to say about that is: 'The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.'"
She made a face. "I know that sounds like a lot of pressure to be perfect. But if it helps any, he goes on to say, 'To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy themself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure themself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.' Victory depends as much on being able to use your opponent's mistakes and weaknesses against them as it does your own efforts not to make any mistakes yourself. But . . . it's pretty hard to be able to predict mistakes if you've never made any yourself, right?"
"So today, you're going to get the chance to make mistakes in a secure environment, with nothing on the line except your pride," Ghanima added, holding up a chess piece. "'Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. 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. But if you go on the pure offensive, you risk leaving yourself vulnerable to counter-attacks and over-committing your resources to one plan."
"That's when you start to look at the bigger picture," Tahiri said, picking up the thread of the lecture. "Not just the immediate goal of winning that battle, or wanting to win the war, but how to put yourself into a position to succeed. As Sun Tzu says, it's 'a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.' It's only once you're sure you've gotten into that position that you should look to set things into motion."
She did not add a 'not dirty' disclaimer, even though it wasn't, because she knew you kids and your dirty-minded tendencies.
Besides, 'Not dirty' would just encourage some of their students *cough*Isabela*cough* to make it dirtier. Ghanima had been a high school teacher long enough to know that.
"Everybody go find a game, either against a computer or against a classmate, and work on establishing your tactics."
"So," Tahiri said when everyone appeared to be present, "we're going to talk about tactical disposition today. What Sun Tzu had to say about that is: 'The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.'"
She made a face. "I know that sounds like a lot of pressure to be perfect. But if it helps any, he goes on to say, 'To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy themself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure themself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.' Victory depends as much on being able to use your opponent's mistakes and weaknesses against them as it does your own efforts not to make any mistakes yourself. But . . . it's pretty hard to be able to predict mistakes if you've never made any yourself, right?"
"So today, you're going to get the chance to make mistakes in a secure environment, with nothing on the line except your pride," Ghanima added, holding up a chess piece. "'Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. 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. But if you go on the pure offensive, you risk leaving yourself vulnerable to counter-attacks and over-committing your resources to one plan."
"That's when you start to look at the bigger picture," Tahiri said, picking up the thread of the lecture. "Not just the immediate goal of winning that battle, or wanting to win the war, but how to put yourself into a position to succeed. As Sun Tzu says, it's 'a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.' It's only once you're sure you've gotten into that position that you should look to set things into motion."
She did not add a 'not dirty' disclaimer, even though it wasn't, because she knew you kids and your dirty-minded tendencies.
Besides, 'Not dirty' would just encourage some of their students *cough*Isabela*cough* to make it dirtier. Ghanima had been a high school teacher long enough to know that.
"Everybody go find a game, either against a computer or against a classmate, and work on establishing your tactics."
Re: Talk to the Teachers (AoW #5)