The Aspiration of a General

Military force is a dangerous instrument, and the office of a general is a weighty and perilous responsibility. When an instrument is too rigid, it is easily damaged; when a responsibility is too heavy, danger is inherent in it. Therefore, one who is skilled in commanding troops does not rely on overbearing strength and does not depend on power and position. When favored, he does not become smug; when humiliated, he is not shaken or frightened. When faced with profit, he does not harbor greed; when faced with temptation, he does not harbor lustful thoughts. He takes it as his sole purpose to devote himself to the state unto death, with a single-minded resolve and nothing else. Modern Application:The previous chapter, “Pitfalls of Generalship,” listed what can destroy a leader; this chapter gives the reverse answer: what can keep a person bearing heavy responsibility from being destroyed. Zhuge Liang begins with “when an instrument is too rigid, it is liable to chip; when a responsibility is too heavy, it harbors danger,” first acknowledging a structural fact—the......