Sun tzu quotes can you imagine

Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. I'm Justin Brown, the founder of Ideapod. I've overseen the evolution of Ideapod from a social network for ideas into a publishing and education platform with millions of monthly readers and multiple products helping people to think critically, see issues clearly and engage with the world responsibly.

Search Search for: Search. Login Login. Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist and philosopher. This is something I know I can do. I found myself wandering into the science building, missing the labs and lecture halls, and despising the students there. I ran into a girl I had taken calculus with the first time sitting outside of the back of the building, smoking a cigarette.

After catching up, I expressed my dilemma. I told of how torn I felt: I was doing really well in my English composition class, being pushed by my art and design teachers to pursue a career as an artist, and had found a true fit in my behavioral psychology class so much so that I got an A without ever even studying — I enjoyed it that much.

On top of all that, I still wanted to go to medical school. She then told me something I will never forgot:.

None of those paths can give you the satisfaction that you feel in the others. The truth is that that one, perfect path is the one you were on. When you are a doctor you need to be able to write well, you are going to be publishing papers and need to be able to effectively communicate your knowledge to others. As a doctor you will need to be creative, as in art, and especially as a surgeon, you will need to understand the biological design of the body.

As a surgeon, you will also need to understand the psychology of the patient, their worries, their demons, their fears — you will need to able to sympathize with all of it. Becoming a doctor is the one thing that will fulfill you because it is the only thing that satisfies all the different aspects of your being. There are so many negative opinions about anything and everything that I witness on a daily basis. This is not easy and that hard truth is thrown in our face constantly. Many may interpret this as weakness or say that I am succumbing to a greater authority because I lack the belief that I can do anything to change it.

The truth is that I have yet to experience any injustice. In fact, I welcome challenge. I thrive in it. I want to be broken down because I know that I will survive it and emerge a better person, and doctor, because of it. Yes it was unfair for the girl who failed the anatomy midterm because of one wrong answer, but at the same time, we were expected to know everything.

When I went into my own exam, I planned on interpreting my grade, not as a representation of my intelligence or a GPA booster, but as an evaluation of my progress thus far. We want to be doctors. We want to make life-altering decisions on a daily basis — and for that we need to be tough. So why not start building a thick skin now? There will always be points where I doubt why I am here and whether or not this what I am meant to do.

When I consider the sheer magnitude of information that we are expected to master in just these first few months, it almost makes me nauseous. It feels impossible. But then, there are so many that have managed it before me. We all have different tools that we are given in life and I know that the level of difficulty depends greatly on these tools.

I know with all my heart that this is what I want and I am going to do whatever it takes to make it happen. It may be easier somewhere else, but I am here now and I am going to make the best of it. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him.

Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

If of high morale, depress them.