Illustratie van Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west
Military / Strategy / Classical Texts
Military / Strategy / Classical Texts

Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west

Scatter the enemy's attention and strike where he cannot react freely.

Aliassen
聲東擊西 / Set 1. Winning Stratagems
Domeinen
Strategy, negotiation, positioning, competition, conflict

Chinese Maxim

  • Chinese title: 聲東擊西
  • Chinese maxim: 敵志亂萃，不虞，利其不自主而取之。
  • Plain-English rendering: Scatter the enemy's attention and strike where he cannot react freely.

How It Works

  • Simple definition: Distract one way, act another way.
  • Simple explanation: Attention is a limited resource; split it and response quality drops.

Usage Example

  • Talk publicly about one initiative while quietly building the real one.