{"id":3623,"date":"2019-11-14T21:59:39","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T01:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=3623"},"modified":"2022-03-11T14:19:24","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T18:19:24","slug":"let-your-plans-be-dark-and-impenetrable-as-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/let-your-plans-be-dark-and-impenetrable-as-night\/","title":{"rendered":"How to \u201cLet Your Plans Be Dark and Impenetrable as Night\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In The Art of War<\/em>, Sun Tzu<\/a> suggests you “let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.” What does Tzu mean by this? How can you hide your plans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover the art of deception and how to appear so formless in your attack that your enemy can’t discover your master plan. Learn how to let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Don’t Reveal Your Plans<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The goal of any conflict is to control your opponent and overcome them.<\/strong> Controlling their beliefs about your abilities helps you understand their assumptions and plan a strategy accordingly. As a well-known translation of Sun Tzu puts it, \u201call warfare is based on deception<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d
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Deception includes feigning weakness when you are strong or professing ignorance when you are informed. Appearing to be weak, unprepared, or small in size can lure your opponent into traps and make them susceptible to misguided actions or responses. Don’t let your enemy know what you’re up to–let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.
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For instance, creating a scenario where only a small portion of your force is visible can mislead opponents into thinking they outnumber or outarm you. When they prepare an attack under that guise, they will be ill-prepared for the full strength of your forces. Sun Tzu says, “When you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
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Another example is allowing your opponent to win small victories or gains. Your opponent may fall victim to greed or an inflated ego<\/a>, which will confuse and hinder their strategy when the truth is revealed. 
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Historical Example: Manipulation through Deception<\/strong>
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When a Chinese emperor was strategizing an attack on the Han dynasty, which had joined forces with the Huns, he sent a scout to scope out the Huns\u2019 forces. Ten scouts returned after seeing old and feeble men milling about and reported that the Huns were weak. However, one scout, Lou Jing, saw the placement of these men as a ruse and reported that an attack would be unwise. The emperor punished Lou Jing for this advice and sent a massive force into Hun territory. 
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Lou Jing had been right. The hidden Huns forces surrounded the emperor\u2019s men and stranded them for a week without supplies. The Huns let their plans be dark and impenetrable as night<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizing Your Forces<\/strong>: Let Your Plans Be Dark and Impenetrable as Night<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The formation that a group of forces takes signifies the psychological state of those forces.<\/strong> How you organize your troops provides insight into the stability and ability of your strategy and forces. Therefore, the formed express volumes and the formless express nothing. Be sure to hide your troop\u2019s formation. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.
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Likewise, the stance or formation of your enemy indicates their psychological state<\/strong>. However, you cannot force your enemy to take a stance. You must understand that victory can be predicted but not created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n