Thread by @ThyConsigliori

John Minford, #SunTzu 6: 9 & 10 "9) Oh, subtlety of subtleties! Without form! 10) Oh, mystery of mysteries! Without sound! He is a master of his enemy's fate."

Today's focus in #SunTzu 6: 9.

What does it mean to be without form? Let's use verse 1: 2 to analyze this. Remember the five factors?

1) The Way
2) Heaven
3) Earth
4) Command
5) Discipline

Without form, I merely follow and do not lead The Way.

I follow the Will of Heaven, and do not impose my own will.

It is the Earth that leads my steps, the Earth that determines my paths and options, my placement and my maneuver. I never seek dominance over the Earth, only submission to its dictates. It is the Earth's form that I demonstrate in battle and never my own form. I am formless.

In my command, I show up to lead the mission. The mission forms me, I do not form it. All my commands derive from the mission. My men know that I seek only victory, not glory. I will never sacrifice them for glory, only for the mission. I am formless.

My intention is to save all, including the enemy for that matter, to win without doing battle. In battle, my intent is surely to sacrifice none, to win, safely, with all. This is the basis of discipline. Sacrifice is the result of necessity. Necessity is the mother of discipline.

I was reading the Army manual on leadership last night, and it makes the following astonishing assertion. All leadership is based on trust. It goes to great lengths to establish the moral basis of trust in service to nation, to the Constitution and the best interest of followers.

This is in 100% perfect accord with Master Sun's principle of formlessness. If, as leader, it is my own form I impose, why should any follower trust me? Rather, my followers must believe that the only form I serve is that of necessity to the mission, morally. Morally, mind you.

When contemplating formlessness, the question of ego catapults to the forefront. Without ego, I get nothing done, and am available to evil doers to surrender to their manipulation and corrupt power. Too much ego, and I am for nothing but myself. What is this land in the middle?

It is to be formless. Deeper now, what is a form, in Master Sun's context? We'll soon learn about the following four parts of a battle contingent.

1) Front
2) Right Flank
3) Left Flank
4) Rear

Do I place my biggest guy in front, and fill out behind? That would be a triangle.

Do I find my four biggest guys and place them at the corners, like rooks on a chess board? That would obviously inform a square. And in the square, do I put my best fighters outside, my weaker fighters inside? Most herds operate in that manner, gazelles and such.

If all I want to do is stay in place, standing, and defend my ground, I might choose a circle with strongest outside, weakest inside. But, if I would march and attack, I'll likely revert to the square form. Yet, Master Sun tells me to be formless. What to do?

Abandon doctrine. Smell the air. Listen to my spies. Embrace the reality in front of me. The Earth gives me her own form, and I adapt, responding to Her. I seek the high ground above my enemy. I seek to flow downward, servant of The Earth. Strong and weak, I assess my enemy.

My weakest men lure my enemy's strongest into my trap. My strongest men are hidden at the highest ground, behind my weakest. I am not predictable. I am subtle. I am without form, other than to accept the form of victory. Each victory unique unto itself. You'll hear that again.

Let's complete a local MAGA team analysis in the same manner. Who's in front? Who's behind? On your team, you will have loud mouthed aggressors. On your team, you will have silent, deadly types, who only fight to kill. Fight? Merely verbal combat, okay?

Imagine nine of you, yourself included. All nine show up at the local town council meeting over...you pick the issue. One is ready to stand up and address the counsel. The others select their targets. Who to speak with once the counsel is finished? High and mighty are strong.

Low and lowly are weak. Who speaks to whom? This is the deployment of your men that you, the leader, must lead. But you must show up...formless. You must be subtle. You must be ready to exert influence, impact, resistance or support to whomever The Way indicates.

In the #MAGA movement, we're not known for our subtlety. @POTUS is not known for his subtlety. But perceptions are often weak. Our leader is subtle, as subtle can be, and plays the MSM and all his opponents so subtly. Loud behavior in front, soft genius in rear. Subtlety.

So also, you. Place your strong fighters where you will. Place your weak, but loyal fighters where you will. Show up, formless, subtly. Lead. Lead well. Formless. Loyal only to the cause and not your ego. Ego strong, but mission focused. Lead.

119 verses completed, 303 to go.