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People will avoid a fight they could easily win until it becomes a fight they will have to win. (By which time it might be too late.) Very roughly, the Western
by anvandare 8y ago
People will avoid a fight they could easily win until it becomes a fight they will have to win. (By which time it might be too late.)
Very roughly, the Western Ideal is to win wars by strength and decisive battles. While the Eastern Ideal is to win wars by endurance and maneuvering and, if possible, avoiding battle altogether. The latter is more realistic.
(Permit me the pun: We may one day find ourselves readying for a Marathon, only to discover we've already lost the marathon.)
- thaumasiotes 8y ago> People will avoid a fight they could easily win until it becomes a fight they will have to win. (By which time it might be too late.) There is a good reason for this. There could be a thousand potential fights, all of which you would easily win. But if you had to fight them all, you'd get worn down, and probably lose one of them.
- pjc50 8y ago> the Western Ideal is to win wars by strength and decisive battles. I think a lot of historians would argue with you on this one, not least how the two world wars were both intended to be quick and decisive, but also since the invention of nuclear weapons what it actually means to "win".