FIVE DANGEROUS FAULTS... – The Self Defense Company

FIVE DANGEROUS FAULTS…

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      Anonymous
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      First, the basis:

      [quote:2129yp9i]The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

      – Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 8. Variations in Tactics[/quote:2129yp9i]

      An unassailable position is as much moral as it is physical.

      [quote:2129yp9i]It is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.

      – Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 7. Maneuvering[/quote:2129yp9i]

      You do not attack an enemy who holds the high ground – unless your name is Robert E Lee, and you happen to be around Gettysburg, and you won’t listen to a bright guy named James Longstreet, in which case we will have you to thank for the Union remaining intact.

      The high ground is not just physical, it is moral. Your position is truly unassailable if you do not surrender the moral high ground. Be right, and know you’re right. Then you are ready to receive the enemy. Well, he’s really receiving you – right up his glorious ass.

      Anyhoodle, think of yourself as the General of your mind. Your thoughts are soldiers over which you must exercise supreme command, and enforce ruthless discipline.

      [quote:2129yp9i]There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:

      (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
      (2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
      (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
      (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
      (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

      – Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 8. Variations in Tactics[/quote:2129yp9i]

      Sun Tzu sounds like a smart guy – he should be a General or something.

      I think of this in the context of a man leading his life. To lead is to General. We are all Generals, if you will.

      These five faults all result from a lack of discipline.

      The first is obvious: “Fools rush in” comes to mind.

      Cowardice is obvious, and results from a lack of faith. I’ll tell you this though: Know that you’re right, and you will find yourself imbued with power by this simple realization. There is no fear without guilt. You must purge the guilt. When you discipline yourself so that honor is your ideal, guilt disappears. The guilt doesn’t even have to be associated with the given situation. But this is as true as the sky is blue: There is no fear without guilt.

      The third flaw, a hasty temper, I can relate to. A quick trigger is like your own personal little land mine that you step on all the time. Anger, like fear – and often a product of fear – is yet another feeling. Anger is an asset if disciplined, but a temper is undisciplined anger. When you are right, then you will feel righteous anger. This is good, as long as you are it’s master and it your slave.

      “A delicacy of honor that is sensitive to shame” refers to your ego. Someone insults your honor and so you may feel compelled to defend it. No one can insult your honor, however; it is impossible to insult honor.

      This also applies to social situations where others may compel you to defend your “honor.” Peer pressure. The opinions of others. Instigators. I really hate instigators.

      Also, people – women – may appeal to your honor to manipulate you into taking out their garbage for them. Do their dirty work. Damsel in distress sort of thing.

      The “honor” described here by Mr. Tzu is not honor at all, but an egotistical facsimile. It’s selfish and not selfless, the hallmark of true honor. It’s a feeling and not a principle.

      The fifth flaw, over-solicitude of self, is being reluctant to incur punishment. It’s looking for the easy way. For example, when facing a knife plan on getting cut, and the rest is easy. You’ll see this all the time in professional fights where a guy won’t press an obvious advantage out of over-solicitude for himself. This is war, my friend, and you’re going to feel some pain. Embrace it as you would a dear friend. The great thing about pain is that it really focuses the mind, provided you don’t try to avoid it. To quote Jay-Z, “don’t run from the pain, go towards it.” The pain is where the action is.

      [quote:2129yp9i]For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm’s way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.

      – Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 11. The Nine Situations
      [/quote:2129yp9i]
      Over-solicitude is different from cowardice because a coward won’t even engage, but the over-solicitude will become hesitant at critical moments waiting for that magical, mythical better opportunity.

      By the way, it is the over-solicitude for the poor that has given us the welfare nanny state. You only need glance at Greece to see how fatal this fault is.

      These dangerous faults all hold in common an undisciplined mind. There is no discipline without principles for discipline to adhere to. Therefore, these faults all hold in common a lack of principle.

      You must clearly establish in your mind your principles, these higher ideals for which you live and die. These principles embody honor. Honor is not a feeling, it is a discipline; a value you place on something greater than yourself, and greater than your own bloated ego.

      Principles, obviously, are what encompass your belief system. Principles neutralize fear, because they create a clear focus in your mind. Fear is like headless chickens (thoughts) running around a barnyard. Your principles center you, and when adversity comes you are ready to receive it and your principles will dictate your action.

      [quote:2129yp9i]If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

      – Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 3. Attack by Strategem[/quote:2129yp9i]

      You know yourself, your principles, your training, and what you stand for. You know the nature of the enemy and how he operates.

      The SDC course is a set of principles, but in addition to these do not neglect to add moral principles or else you are nothing more than a sociopath. Your ego is a sociopath, if you think about it. Think about what it wants you to do. Discipline is really a regimented destruction of your ego.

      I think the one word that sums this up is sacrifice. You sacrifice your body to training. You sacrifice your sweet tooth to eating healthy. You sacrifice your ego when you do not react to insults. You sacrifice your life to defend others from harm and evil men.

      Honor is sacrifice.

      I hope you were taking notes, there’s gonna be a quiz.

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