Standard Terms in Sun Tzu's Strategy
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Soft |
1. A forms of territory in which we can leverage the rare areas of support; 2. Forms of territory that dominated by a lack of dependable support; 3. Generally, the opposite of dependable and solid; 4. Psychologically, areas where opinion is uncertain and easily changed. |
| Speed |
1. Our rate of progress toward a goal; 2. Eliminating distance between an existing position and an open opportunity; 2. The rate at which we physically move or intellectually learn. |
| Standard methods |
1. Responses that have proven to work to address specific conditions; |
| Strategy |
1. A set of rules for making decisions about whatever situation might arise; 2. A method of making decisions affecting external positioning rather than internal operations; 3. A system for making decisions about conditions to advance our relative positions. |
| Strength |
1. Generally, the relative advantages of one position over other positions in its ability to advance toward a specific goal; 2) Objectively, a relative advantage in resources resulting from the control of a given position where different types of resources produce different forms of strength; 3) Subjectively, the perception of others that one positions is superior to another, encouraging allies to join that position and opponents to avoid attacking it; 4) the condition arising from comparison to a weakness where the superiority of a position is defined by the relative inferiority of other positions |
| Surprise |
1. The seizing of momentum creates by violating expectations; |
| Tactics |
1) the chosen response to a given situation; 2) the methods we use to pursue a goal or mission under certain conditions; 3) the execution of a decision by specific action as to the strategy used for making that decision; 4) the best method for pursuing a given opportunity |
| Tilted |
1. The form of territories in which we can leverage gravity; 2. Spaces are dominated by uneven features; 3. Physical areas where the force of gravity gives an advantage of some positions over others; 4. Psychological area where opinions prejudice decisions strongly in one direction; 5. Often territories in which the opinions of a few key people or organizations are much more important than those of most people or organizations. |
| Unity |
1) Generally, the quality of the strength of the bonds among the individual people or groups that form a competitive unit, i.e., a competing agent; 2) Along with focus, two quality that creates competitive power; 3) Objectively, the physical closeness of a group of people and the ability of that group to act quickly in a coordinated manner; 4) Subjectively, the psychological closeness of a group of people, especially in terms of sharing the same mission and agreement on their different roles in attaining its goals |
| Vulnerability |
1. Weaknesses or openings in the environmental components of our position--our climate and how it changes our ability to control our resources; 2. An opening to an environmental attack or what Sun Tzu called a "fire attack" |