Learn competition from grandchildren

Author: Zhang Tianfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The Art of War was produced between 512 BC and 482 BC. From 770 BC to 403 BC was the Spring and Autumn Period in our country's history, during which numerous feudal states struggled against each other. The phrase "wars without righteousness in the Spring and Autumn Period" refers to the mutual of feudal states, while "the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period" refers to the five feudal states that successively dominated the world during this time. From 403 BC to 221 BC was the Warring States Period in our country's history, marked by the "Division of Jin into Three States," leaving seven feudal states: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin. They fought against each other for 182 years before Qin eventually unified the world. Throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, the competition of being hegemon and losing hegemony, of competing and counter-competiting, of controlling and being controlled, and of perishing and being resurrected was exceptionally fierce. We see that the disappearance or destruction of some feudal states was not directly caused by war. Even those that were destroyed by war were mainly because they had already lost vitality in the competition—war was merely like the autumn wind that cleared the leaves. Just like in modern society, thousands of companies are established every day, and thousands of companies go bankrupt every day. Their bankruptcies are not the result of bad guys attacking, destroying, or robbing them, but rather because they have lost the strength to survive in competition and have already failed in the competition. Let's think about it—what did that era need? It needed competitive theories to improve competitive abilities! Under this great need, The Art of War naturally emerged. Think about the ancient times, look at the world today; think about nations and ethnicities, look at our teams and individuals—competition has always been with us, and competition is the eternal theme of human society. Therefore, the The Art of War left to us by our ancestors holds eternal value in human society.