The Wise Use of Conditions

For a commander leading troops on campaign to seek victory, he must comply with weather conditions, grasp the timing, and rely on people who possess the corresponding combat capability. Therefore, if weather conditions are present and the people are fully prepared, but only the timing is not yet ripe and troops are sent out, this is called “going against timing”; if the timing has appeared and the people are ready, but only weather conditions are absent and troops are sent out, this is called “going against Heaven”; if both weather and timing are present, but only human conditions are not in place and troops are sent out, this is called “going against people.” A wise commander neither violates weather conditions, nor misses the timing, nor departs from the actual condition of the people. Modern Application:This chapter contains only one sentence, yet it proposes an extremely simple judgment framework: the success or failure of any major action depends on the simultaneous arrival of three independent variables, not on the extreme exertion of any one of them.......