Military / Strategy / Classical Texts
Military / Strategy / Classical TextsInitial Estimates
Laying Plans
War is serious business. Start with calculation, judgment, and deception before action.
Alias
Laying Plans / 始計 / Art of War Chapter 1
Ambiti
Strategy, leadership, planning, deception, competition
Chapter Focus
- War is serious business. Start with calculation, judgment, and deception before action.
- Alternate chapter title: Laying Plans
- Chinese chapter title: 始計
- This chapter page groups three practical quote cards from the same chapter.
Selected Rules
- Rule 1.1: Strategy begins by taking conflict seriously.
- Rule 1.2: You do not reveal your real intention too early.
- Rule 1.3: Better preparation creates better odds.
Rule 1.1
- Chinese original:
兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。 - Working English: War is a matter of state survival, so it must be examined with care.
- Simple definition: Strategy begins by taking conflict seriously.
- Simple explanation: Do not treat major competition like improvisation. First understand what is at stake.
- Simple usage: Before entering a new market, define what failure would cost and what success must protect.
Rule 1.2
- Chinese original:
兵者，詭道也。 - Working English: Warfare is the art of deception.
- Simple definition: You do not reveal your real intention too early.
- Simple explanation: If the other side can predict your move, they can prepare for it.
- Simple usage: During a negotiation, do not show your full priority list before you know the other side's constraints.
Rule 1.3
- Chinese original:
多算勝，少算不勝。 - Working English: The side that calculates more wins; the side that calculates less loses.
- Simple definition: Better preparation creates better odds.
- Simple explanation: Good results usually come from disciplined comparison, not confidence alone.
- Simple usage: Compare several launch scenarios, staffing levels, and risks before committing to the plan.