Taking the Path of Least Resistance Theme Analysis

In Chinese sage Sun-Tzu’s ancient treatise on warfare, the surest way to victory is a strategy based on taking advantage of the dynamic of the battlefield—for example, the lay of the land or the temperament of the enemy’s general. Taking the path of least resistance across terrain or to overcome an enemy ensures a holistic victory—that is, victory in which the enemy is defeated (by targeting their weakest points), the homeland is protected (e.g. from the financial fallout of unnecessarily prolonged warfare), and the men return home safe to their families (to continue working and so producing wealth for the nation). Sun’s focus on total victory by avoiding overexertion—such as by not slaughtering an already-defeated enemy, to avoid losing any men or resources—reflects his view of war as a complex web of interdependent actions, reactions, and counteractions, in which choosing the path of least resistance is the surest way to navigate safely through the world’s ordered chaos.

On numerous occasions, Master Sun draws parallels between military forces and water. Both are governed by natural laws—they can become immensely powerful when concentrated yet can withstand any blow when settled. Under the influence of such natural laws as gravity, water can become a powerful force simply because of its own weight. According to Sun, so too can an army: “A victorious army / Is like / Pent-up water / Crashing / A thousand fathoms / Into a gorge.” Conquest can be assured simply by the dynamic of the situation, in which the army’s own advantageous momentum—perhaps from overwhelming physical strength or formidable morale—drives it to victory.

“Military dispositions / Take form like water. / Water shuns the high / And hastens to the low. / War shuns the strong / And attacks the weak.” Here, Sun advocates taking the path of least resistance, just as water does. Water flows downhill, just as an army ought to take the high ground and attack downhill. Moreover, armies should attack an opponent’s weakest area, just as water will flow through a gap in a rock before it pushes through the obstruction. As such, brute force is not the art of war—understanding and taking advantage of the dynamic of the situation wins the battle.

While physical realities—such as difficulties moving across different types of terrain—apply to military regiments as much as they do water, Sun also sees the enemy’s dynamic as an active force on the battlefield that must be understood and overcome. The best way to do so is to take the path of least resistance, by targeting their weak points: “Water shapes its current / From the lie of the land. / The warrior shapes his victory / From the dynamic of the enemy.” By being flexible and reactive to the opportunities the enemy’s movements and decisions open up, the victorious general’s army flows toward the opponent’s weakest points, either physical or psychological.

Yet just as water has no constant shape, there is no one formula for victory: “War has no / Constant dynamic; / Water has no / Constant form.” Rather, it is important to understand the enemy, and to understand the laws that govern the world to ensure a clear, efficient route to success. Ultimately, the wise, flexible, and reactive general that better perceives the opponent’s weaknesses wins the day. Not only will the general defeat the enemy, but the fallout of war can be minimized—for example, by reducing the number of casualties or the hit to the nation’s treasury.

Sun details the immense financial cost of war, as well as the wider fallout on the homeland and its people: “It is therefore callous / To begrudge the expense of / A hundred taels / Of silver / For knowledge / Of the enemy's situation.” He advocates investment in espionage to shorten the campaign, and so reduce the financial and human cost the homeland must bear during war. To find the path of least resistance, one must find the enemy’s weakest points via spies’ advice, and the quicker victory lessens the kingdom’s collateral losses.

The advantages of seeking an efficient, holistic victory are obvious: “… a nation destroyed / Cannot be / Put back together again; / A dead man / Cannot be / Brought back to life.” These words can apply to disaster at home or the benefit of conquering a rival nation without destroying it. Sending the entire army to triumph over a neighboring nation could lead to another enemy attacking the home nation in the general’s absence—certainly not an all-round victory. Also, it is more efficient to take an enemy nation whole, along with its workers, which can then pay taxes or tribute. Victory is multifaceted, then; it is not simply the destruction of the enemy but also the protection of the home nation.

Just as water moves by taking the path of least resistance, so should an army—targeting the enemy’s weakest points, never fighting uphill, and reacting to the dynamic of the situation to take the smoothest path to total victory. In this way, Sun shows success comes from measuring, understanding and moving according to the universe’s natural laws. As such, military success comes from finding the best strategy, not from brute force.