Sun Tzu and Deception
The notion of employing deceit has forever evoked an adverse response. Words associated with deception encompass dishonesty, trickery, ruse, sham, fraud, cons, cheating, and a myriad of others. Throughout history, donning a sword in public was not only customary but also imperative. The sword served dual purposes, both as a means of defense and offense, employed for both noble and nefarious intentions. During the era of Sun Tzu, swords were wielded not only for safeguarding oneself but also as a tool of deception as was deception.
Deception is not necessarily wrong or harmful. Surprise birthday parties can’t happen if deception is not involved. Birthday and Christmas gifts usually come wrapped which can add to the deception as well as the pleasure. This is a type of deception, but no one complains or wants to outlaw the practice. It was also understood that weapons of defense could be used as offensive weapons. Deceptions people hate are police radar and tricky questions in exams. A girl likes a boy but she will hide this fact in case of perceived rejection if he does not like her as much as she likes him. You think your boss is a complete idiot but you keep this to yourself so you don’t have to find another one is just as stupid. Your spouse has just done something spectacularly stupid but you don’t tell them because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. Voters are far from thrilled when politicians promise one thing before an election and they do the opposite or simply dump their promises. From these examples, we can see that there is what we could call good deception and bad deception.
So deception is neither inherently good nor bad but it is practiced daily. We are exposed to it innumerable times every day. Understanding the nature of deception will enhance greatly our chances of successfully avoiding or using it. The outcome justifies the means is one argument put forward to justify its use, however, it seems that the context of the deception does seem to have a bearing on the acceptability of the use of deception.
Lies, white lies, lies of exaggeration, and lies of omission are the more common types of deception we use and are faced with every day. It could be the constant use of them or the context in which they are used that most of us pay little mind to them.
If it wasn’t for lies and deception we wouldn’t have a book or movie industry, for it is this factor that we enthralled by suspense and clever twists of the story. The use of special effects in current movies has heightened the enjoyment level of all genres of movies especially sci-fi movies for it makes the believability of the settings so much easier to accept. We read books and go to the movies because we want to be deceived to be entertained.
“Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought”.
The message from The Art of War is that you need to be able to understand deception to be skilled in seeing through deception. Assessing if any deception is being perpetrated is a key element that a general must be skilled at knowing and b formulating the correct action to take. Knowing that salespeople train in using deception arms you for the negotiation, being able to counter this deception with your own can save you money, time, and effort or add a lot of value to your transaction.
We can deceive in the positive as well as the negative. We do so because we can rationalize anything that we do and not do as forgivable, acceptable, or necessary. A term like “for the greater good” or “I had no other choice” or when “honour” is referred to, then deception is in play. Know this to prosper. We all love a good stirring speech; we love them in movies especially. The good guys are outnumbered, facing all sorts of doom and gloom, when their leader stirs them up with a chest-pounding speech that sets the passions aflame and they go out and smote their opponents to save the day. Now if you listen to the speeches you will hear the lie of exaggeration. The leaders will exaggerate how good their fighting skills are, how they really aren’t in such a dire situation and now they will win the day. In the movies, the good guys win, but I wonder how many of these speeches simply lead to a lot of people getting killed. This also addresses the genre of lies we want to believe. We know what we are being told is a bald-faced lie and we don’t care. Maybe at times, the end does justify the means if we all agree that they do.
Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand LI the expenditure at home and the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armour, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
This is the opening paragraph of the second chapter. To make money you have to spend money is one modern adage that comes to mind however a more relevant one might be everything comes at a cost, especially wars. This is why businesses spend a great deal of money and time in public relations, so they and their products will be perceived in the manner they would like to be seen. They invest huge amounts of money advertising themselves and their products. If you watch an ad, you are watching a deception. For in an ad, the full truth will never be told. Here we see the art of exaggeration and misdirection.
“Hold out baits to entice the enemy”
Discounts, bonuses, extras, lower interest rates, and easy payments; theses are all enticements by companies to lure you out and spend your money. So how does it feel to be seen as the enemy? All these enticements are part of a carefully crafted strategy to get your money from your pocket into their bank accounts. Nothing wrong with this and it can work in our favour if we know this and have a counter strategy. The enemy has shown their hand, it is up to us to smack it or to use it to our advantage.
Sporting teams spend a lot of time studying other teams to devise plays to deceive the opposition defense so they may win. They also spend a lot of time and money securing the best players to execute these plays When these ploys work we cheer for our team on how clever they are, especially if they win. Halfbacks, quarterbacks, strikers, and other critical players are rewarded for their ability to deceive and win by the amount of money they are offered in their contracts and the adulation of the teams’ supporters. Now that we know of the deception are we going to give up watching or playing sports? Probably not and we may just enjoy it even more.
Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk at the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; When he is already at full strength and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
Businesses by necessity cloak their new products from their competitors until they want to launch them. Steve Jobs who created the Apple brand was a genius at this. They do not want their competitors to know about the new products and if the balance sheet is not so healthy or the coffers are overflowing. How often do we see ads referring to secret sauces and special ingredients without mention of any of the ingredients that may not be so healthy? In many countries companies now must clearly show fat content, kilojoules, and other information that in the past was not included on packaging or in print so small you needed a microscope to read it.
Once the new product is launched the marketing battle begins. Overall market strategies are kept private from the consumer as well as other competitors.
Laws have been passed in all countries outlawing the release of government data or information that is deemed not for public consumption, the ongoing saga of the Wiki Leaks is a perfect example of this. The deceptions we are exposed to daily, or we discuss over coffee or dinner can be on a very grand scale. We can do so very comfortably if we feel we are not directly affected by it.
Children deceive parents not because they are intrinsically bad but for all sorts of reasons. They might want to protect their privacy or be unsure of the reaction of their parents to a certain action of theirs. Due to a child’s lack of knowledge and experience that they usually use deception as a form of defense. The fact that their attempts of deception are simplistic and unplanned they are usually easily seen through and can be dealt with. However when they get into their teens, then the deceptions can become quite elaborate. So much for knowledge and experience, it can work for you and against you.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”.
Deceiving others is one thing but when we deceive ourselves pain is not far away. You will never know yourself if you keep lying or deceiving yourself. The bigger the self-deception the greater the pain suffered. Acknowledging there is a problem is the first step to understanding it, declaring war on it, and eventually defeating it.
Knowing yourself and your enemy means you must know how to see through all efforts and means of deceiving you or enticing you to places you do not go to or to act in ways you also don’t want to. The enemy can be you, others, weather, advertisements, or simply circumstances.
The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our readiness to receive him, so it is not a matter of if we will be deceived but whether are we prepared for the deceptions we will encounter. Expect that you will be lied to and you will not go far wrong, however, you don’t need to be paranoid about it. Most lies are seen to be harmless; it is your ability to pick out those that can bring hurt you and yours that make the difference.
Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:
(1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. To know when to fight, you must see the situation clearly and accurately. If you have been misled or are befuddled by the situation you will not know whether to fight, retreat or do nothing. Those in the share market need to know whether they should sell, buy or just hold to what they have. Companies need to read the economy right to know if they should be hiring, firing, or maintaining their current workforce. It is only by being able to see through the confusion and deception can you know when to fight.
(2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. Inferior forces must resort to deception just to survive let alone win and surviving can be the win. When we are growing up it seems as if we are always the inferior force and this leads to a great deal of frustration. A frustrated mind can not see clearly through any deception. The deception here is that the inferior force will grow into a superior force. If we see through, it is up to each of us to determine how superior we can become.
(3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. We are at our most powerful when we are in total sync, heart, body, mind, and soul. The same as an army conquering its enemy, all the men of the army must believe in the cause. If we know who we are and are true to that then this animation is always with us. Enemies will use deception to take this animation or force from us. They will try to confuse us, entreat us to make wrong decisions, to believe what is false to be true. A good general sees through all this, and this knowledge gives him confidence and he passes on this confidence to all his troops. Winston Churchill, General Patton, Steve Jobs, and Barack Obama are great examples of generals who could instil animation in their followers.
(4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. By knowing deception he can use it to assist the enemy being unprepared and counter any trickery to prevent him and his troops from being prepared. “To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” He who is better in the art of deception stands a much better chance of victory. We can watch this principle every weekend if we follow a sports team. Each team provides the opposition a chance to win when they make mistakes, these mistakes can be induced by practiced moves and pre-determined moves. Great teams are so good at these deceptive moves that even if the opposing team knows what is coming they still can not withstand the subtlety of the move.
(5) He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign. Winning an argument or debate is the same dynamic as winning a battle or war. All the principles are the same. You may have heard the saying “We are our own worst enemy”. This is true when we do not listen to ourselves and do things we know we shouldn’t. If we understand that we can be both military commander and sovereign then we can begin to understand the problem. Victory requires just one voice; this reflects one mind no matter how many bodies share that mind or what position they hold. From the lowliest soldier to the sovereign, there must be one mind, and one belief so the military capacity can be maximized. You may want to deceive your opponent or enemy that there is discord or indecision within you or your group but you need to make sure that it is only a deception.
“These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand “.
Now that is stating the obvious, yet this pearl of wisdom is ignored or broken so often. In World War II, many posters were printed with these relevant sayings; “loose lips sinks ships” and “walls have ears”. If you want to keep a secret then don’t tell anyone. Deception is not just a military device; it is part of human nature. Just like the laws of nature and physics, you just have to learn to deal with them.
The truth that all war is based on deception has been learned and relearned for as long as mankind has battled itself. As you keep secrets from others so they will keep secrets from you. There are times you will tell “white lies” to protect the feelings of those you care for, i.e. do I look good in this? And so “white lies” may be told to protect feelings. So there will be times when you will need to depend on your judgment for you will not be able to rely on what you see, hear, and at times believe. This is where experience becomes your best guide.
How to make the best of both strong and weak—that is a question involving the proper use of ground.
Hiding our own perceived inadequacies or perceived weakness and failures is something we learn at a very young age. It is a self-defense mechanism that automatically kicks in. Learning how to use this inbuilt strategy is something altogether different. The mere nature that it is automatic can impede you from learning to use it by choice. Having these inadequacies or weaknesses makes us human what we do about it separates the winners from the losers.
Poor understanding and implementation of this point can make us seem untrustworthy or deceitful to those around us. While this point can be seen as deceitful it is not meant to deceive negatively. Sometimes modesty can be perceived in such a negative manner.
There will be times when you won’t want everyone to know how you are in regards to school, work, or friends but choose to show this only to a select few who you feel comfortable sharing it with because you believe they will either understand or be able to help you.
In any competitive scenario, from the sports field to the classroom to the mall and the workplace, there will be times that you will try to deceive your opponent or your “enemy”.
In reverse, there will be times that you will want to know where your opponent or enemy is so you will need to determine ways to see through the deception that is being offered. Once you have penetrated their deception you can show what they want to see and then crush them in the contest because you had the better plan. Sometimes you will do this naturally and other times it will be deliberate.
Remember Sun Tzu says to fight as a last option, that a good general will always win the battle without a fight by breaking their will to fight. To achieve this you need to use deception well.
The saying “If it appears to be too good to be true then it usually is”. It is a modern-day saying that sums up the warning that you need to know when deception is in play and if you do you will be able to avoid the consequences of being deceived.
Mutton dressed as lamb, fools gold, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, be wary of Greeks bearing gifts, don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t cry wolf are just some of the idioms we teach our children as we were taught when we were children about not be fooled or deceived. Even at a very young age, we were actively introduced to deception and it wasn’t seen as a bad practice.
Our language is full of idioms and sayings that we love to refer to. The sayings help us and others to understand the deceptions that surround us. Paranoia is not what is in play here, it is the plain fact that we deal with deception daily and so we are pretty good at knowing it for what it is. We can all run but very few of us will be presented with a gold medal for running in any form. We can all throw but few of us will ever win a gold medal in the shot put, discus, or javelin. We all have a lot in common but it is the skills that we choose to learn and perfect as best we can determine our level of success and our happiness. It is only with diligence and focus that we will improve our skills to protect ourselves from deception and know when to use it either to protect ourselves and those we care for or to promote our interests or the interests of those we care for.
No one can tell you to use deception or how to use it. The decision to use or not use deception is as personal as it gets. Knowledge can be power, so you owe it to yourself to educate yourself in this practice and then make a better, more informed decision.
But then I might just be deceiving you…….