Sun Tzu constantly discusses the reality of comparison. Nothing is "good" or "bad," in itself. Things are good or bad in comparison to something else. You are "tall" because others are "short." If you want to appear tall, stand next to people that are shorter than you. Movies use this trick all the time. Tom Cruise is very short yet appears tall on screen because of tricks in photography and putting him in taller shoes and on platforms. He appears tall on screen because we compare him to those around him.