Philosophy – Survive with Will – Thoughtful Analysis & Perceptions https://www.survivewithwill.com Thoughtful Analysis, Perceptions, Commentary, and Interviews on Everything Important in the World Tue, 20 Jul 2021 08:37:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/www.survivewithwill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cropped-American_Flag_1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Philosophy – Survive with Will – Thoughtful Analysis & Perceptions https://www.survivewithwill.com 32 32 139766861 Classical Liberalism vs. Social Liberalism https://www.survivewithwill.com/2021/07/20/classical-liberalism-vs-social-liberalism/ Tue, 20 Jul 2021 08:35:46 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1655 Read More]]>

Classical liberalism was the dominating political philosophy of the United States of America’s Founding Fathers. The Articles of Confederation, the Federalist, Anti-Federalist papers, the US Constitution, and most of the other foundational documents formed and established the nation as it was in 1776.

John Locke turned the world’s view of the relationship between “the People” and the Government on its head. In 1776 the majority of people believed that their government granted the only rights that they had them. Thomas Jefferson argued that, as Locke inferred, “People have rights apart from the government, as part of their nature.” Classic liberals believe that “People” have the innate right to form and dissolve governments and that the only “legitimate” purpose of the government is to protect those rights.

Limited government, individuality, liberty, and freedom were the keynotes of classic liberalism.

Classical Liberal, Conservative, Social Liberal, those terms were brought to the forefront by John Locke.

The John Locke Foundation does a great job of explaining the complex nature of the original and today's meaning of the terms (nomenclature).

Quoting the John Locke Foundation

Some people ask us: Is the John Locke Foundation a Republican group? No, the John Locke Foundation is nonpartisan.

Others ask: Is the John Locke Foundation conservative? The answer to this question is not as simple.

The John Locke Foundation believes in free markets, limited constitutional government, and personal responsibility. In the modern American political context, those principles are labeled conservative. Historically, and in most other countries today, those have been considered liberal or “classical liberal” principles. Some observers also consider those principles libertarian.

If someone asks whether the John Locke Foundation is conservative, (classically) liberal, or libertarian, the appropriate answer is “yes.”

Read more on the founding principles that motivated the creation of the John Locke Foundation.

 

Classical Liberalism Results
Limited Centralized Government The Governmental power remains close to the people assuring that they are able to manage the government's actions.
Limited Government Intrusion into general life. No Nanny State, Preserving the maximum amount of freedom and self-determination.
Personal responsibility is the underpinning of a free society  It is the core of classical liberalism (WH)Classical Liberalism embodies individuality, self-reliance, and independence of one's self.
The freedom without central oversight fosters innovation, risk-taking, free thought, advancement in everything.
No government involvement in the economy Innovation and increased production spring from the freedoms

Allowed people to create great wealth.
The role of government is to protect individuals' natural rights to life, liberty, and property. The people thrive. They are free to create new things and new opportunities. Also, they are able to able to
Supports economic liberalism.

It promotes the freedoms that allow people to take risks, innovate, and create businesses.

 Fosters the advancements in
Social (Modern) Liberalism
Full-time government intervention in the economy  Destroys innovation, risk-taking, free thought

 

Further reading regarding Classical Liberalism and John Locke.

Check out the article on this site entitled:

John Locke – Intellectual, Philosopher

John Locke first defined the differences between Classical Liberals and Social Liberals.

Hopefully the links to the public domain library - Liberty Fund will remain viable.
The Works of John Locke in Nine Volumes

A nine volume collection of the works of John Locke.

The Works of John Locke in Nine Volumes, (London: Rivington, 1824 12th ed.).

Copyright: The text is in the public domain.

Found in:

Members of this set:

 

 

]]> 1655 The Life Cycle of a Republic https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/11/11/the-life-cycle-of-a-republic/ Sun, 11 Nov 2018 18:40:23 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1664 Read More]]>

The survival of the West and the USA depends on a return to respect for antiquity, history, the lessons that it teaches, and a respect for deferred pleasure in turn for community, innovation, success, and civility.

Hieronymus Bosch’s famous triptych painting "The garden of earthly delight". The outer panels are intended to bracket the main central panel between the Garden of Eden depicted on the left panel; all things in order, the center panel; unbridled freedom, opulence, debauchery, and the right panel depicted the Last Judgment; basically, hell or total destruction of all that was good. The triptych was a 16th century dire warning on the perils of life's temptations

The Founding Fathers of the USA spent years studying the governmental forms and machinations of antiquity. They were especially influenced by the Athenian Republic. The nation was highly successful, affluent, and developed both tangible and intellectual wonders. The more success that a nation and its people enjoy, the more focused on self-interest and promiscuous behaviors. Although Bosch painted the Garden of Eden, around 1500 AD, it underscored the process our founding fathers understood. The Founding Fathers fully comprehended the self-destructive nature or unbridled freedoms.

The nearly unlimited freedoms afforded by a Republic fuels debauchery. Slowly altering the Republic into a Democracy. The Republic stands on the collective input of its people, deferring pleasure in return for stability and long-term happiness and civility. A democracy, where two wolves and one sheep vote on who is for dinner. As time goes on the democracy descends into anarchy and chaos. When the people are only focused on themselves there is no interest or the greater good or community. History proves the life cycle from Athenian and Roman culture to European and South American nations.

Whatever your personal beliefs about religion, few can argue the value of the community that it creates and the way that it binds its members together. Judeo Christian morals are tied to deferred pleasure. Those morals help to temper the natural human desire for immediate pleasure. Nothing great comes easily, progress, and long-term success is forged in tempered action and planning. With or without religion those values are the key to a lasting Republic.

Modernity, post-modern, and consumerism all exemplify a slide into immediate gratification. A nation whose people are obsessed with them will fail. All creativity, creation, development, and future planning is sacrificed for NOW! The USA is in the throws of that now. Our path to survival demands that we eradicate those preaching selfish immediate gratification. We must replace them with people who teach deferred pleasure in turn for great rewards down the road.

]]> 1664 Civil Protest and Reasoned Civil Discourse https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/10/14/civil-protest-and-reasoned-civil-discourse/ Sun, 14 Oct 2018 22:56:48 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1640 Read More]]>

 

As a point of context I am a trained investigator. I specialized in combating organized intimidation protests by NGOs and domestic terror groups for 20 of my 30-year career.

There is a dangerous pattern of activities intensifying with each event in the USA. There has been an exponential increase in civil disobedience, intimidation protesting, and violent mob activity. There is no room for engaging in civil discourse when picketers blow air horns or yell over you when you speak. Such behaviors contribute nothing to changing hearts and minds.

The media and some politicians cloak these activities in a pseudo historical context mislabeling them as part of our history and as free speech and peaceful protest. In fact, prior to the 1970’s when police began being trained in “cultural sensitivity” and crowd control, every example of such behavior was met with Billy clubs, chemical CS (mace), and extreme force. We were a civil society where people actually had peaceful, respectful debate, and dialectic. Citizens of the USA coveted their individual rights to speak, publish, and present their ideas to stimulate change or thought.

NGO = Non Government Organizations

Beginning in the 1960’s the minions from Laurel Canyon in California, an araldite neighbor which also was the home of   yielded a plethora of social and musical icons with clear links to military / intelligence, subversion / operations working from the military covert operations center located in Laurel Canyon, it was called Lookout Mountain Air Force Station (LMAFS) (now converted into a private residence. The station was involved in “producing motion pictures and still photographs for the USDOD and the Atomic Energy Commission. It influenced many of the most iconic and abhorrent personalities of the era to foment violent civil unrest, sow division in the society, and implement intimidation protests all over the country. What was the result? An increase in government surveillance powers and numerous infringements on civil and constitutional rights including the 1st, 2nd, and 4th amendments. These operations are designed to play on the weakness of humanity. They instill fear into the people. The people in their fear beg the government to take their rights in return for the illusion of security. As it has been said, “Any man who surrenders his freedom for safety and security will neither receive nor deserve either.”

Checkout this book - Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon - Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart Of The Hippie Dream By David McGOWAN

The residents of Laurel Canyon ranged from Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa to David Crosby, Neil Young, and Charles Manson, they all spent a lot of time together and had direct ties to the intel community.

I have seen many times where NGOs organized a protest. They insert a small number of instigators and those instigators take the front line. The sheeple follow. After some hollow rhetoric they antagonize the opposing group members with maddening illogical tripe. They build frustration in the opponent’s minds, then generally one bad actor will covertly strike with one or two acts of physical battery. The act is happens so fast that it is innocuous even to those standing nearby. The assailant then recedes into the crowd. The opposition responds blindly and forcefully in self-defense with physical action. A glaring example of this formula is the incident at involving ANTIFA and Eric Canton, a professor with Antifa slipped forward in the crowd, smashed a Trump rally supporter on the head with a heavy steel bicycle lock, then he just melted away into the crowd. See the article (randomly chosen for the photo.) Click Here

Sadly, whatever you think about the sheeple, they are intentionally drawn into the line of violence. This pageant play is repeated all over the world by these paid organizers. They carefully orchestrate the melee. The organizers of the original offending protest assure that when the media interviews the “victims” of their group who were “attacked” by their opposition they can honestly say, “we were just peacefully protesting and “they” attacked us. Of course, in fact technically it was not them, but that they were set up by wrongdoers in their own group to be victimized. They don’t even see what happens right in front of them, people are oblivious. That is why Situational Awareness is Critical to your survival. See the article on my sister site - PracticePreparedness.com and the radio show on the subject too. Click Here

Over 20 years spent dealing with animal rights, environmental, and other protest groups we video recorded hundreds of intimidation and covert attack incidents. Going undercover into these organizations I sat through weeks of training / brainwashing classes where the NGOs were setting up people to “organize at the grassroots level”. Of course, they had offices in the center of the city where monthly rental was upside of $200,000 per year or more. The claim that the working groups of the NGOs were "Grassroots uprisings" was a total sham.

That said, it is crucial for our success and survival of our society that you understand how these groups work. Immediately identify the bad actors. Take their pictures, try to do it early, use video instead of stills, sweep the crowd. Mull about holding your smartphone up to get them and act like you are talking on the phone and looking a picture or something. Do it surreptitiously if possible. Do it way before the situation heats up. Hide the photos away or upload them to the cloud so you can pull them up immediately after an attack for the law enforcement to be able to find and arrest them. Play the video for law enforcement and freeze it on the actor for ID. Always backup the data for your own protection later.

These NGO organized groups have trained tactical Medics and organizers. Their primary goal is to create an incident that will allow the media to get a “gotcha moment” that will be used against you and your cause. Do not allow them to win at this game.

Finally, shed your ego when you go to these events. If you choose to engage the opposition, hold fast to facts, empirical data, suppress emotion, never yell, never name call, and never show fear. Shallow platitudes shrink against the light of truth. Analytical, unemotional responses which cause the opposition to question their rhetoric will leave far more lasting effects than any physical attack every would. Remember, when people exceed their intellect they turn to fisticuffs. Do not be baited into that position. It is through thoughtful discourse, a dialectic that we will survive, even with our differences in a free society. (See my article on Dialectic.) Click Here

This week I had the opportunity, again, to engage protesters at a conservative event in a small town. In my primary career I dealt with many people engaged in both peaceful and violent protests. Sadly, most of those protesting has no understanding of the machinations behind the scenes in such organized operations. Situational awareness is the key to protecting yourself if you have decided to protest. Often times, the threat may stem not from the opposition but from one within your own ranks. Civil Discourse and Dialectic are preferred over protest. Protest indicates that dialogue has been abandoned for shouting and sometimes violence. If your true goal is to influence hearts and minds arm yourself with facts and press forward with civil dialogue.

]]> 1640 Language – The Glue That Binds a Society https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/10/13/language-the-glue-that-binds-a-society/ Sun, 14 Oct 2018 03:39:45 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1632 Read More]]>

Language – The Meanings of Words – Nomenclature

Summary:

If language is the glue that binds a nation’s people together, the meaning of those words is crucial to that bond. If the meaning of words is not fixed there is no hope for those utilizing them will successfully communicate with others.

It is important to verify your understanding of facts and terms before applying them with authority. Early in my radio hosting career, I endured a frustrating debate with a guest. At the end of the rather annoying debate, while on a commercial break, I asked the guest a question. The answer that he gave revealed that the guest did not know the meaning of the term which he took such an issue with. Ever since the expansion of people’s vocabularies has been a pet project of mine. I have tried to inspire people to verify the meaning of the terms that they believe they know, especially if they use them regularly with authority. My grandfather played a “game” with me every night before I left their house or before bed. He would have me randomly flip open the pages of his gigantic marble white leather-bound Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary. Then I would put my finger on a page. The word on which I placed my finger, randomly, would be our new word. We would put the new word to use as much as possible until our next meeting.

Detail:

My leather-bound, 1975 edition of, the New Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language provided the true definitions of the following words.

Nomenclature – “A system of names; the vocabulary of names or technical terms which are appropriated to a science, art, or other fields.”

Merriam-Webster Online – “a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known.”

While preparing for a radio show guest who I was interviewing next, I was performing my due diligence and fact-checking my points and lines of questioning. Part of the process was verifying proper nomenclature. It is far better to find an error in preparation than to embarrass yourself in front of a large audience. One of the terms was inflation. I searched it on Google. 96,300,000 results were found for the definition.

 

Investopedia said that inflation meant –

“Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising and, consequently, the purchasing power of currency is falling. Central banks attempt to limit inflation — and avoid deflation — in order to keep the economy running smoothly.”

Google said –

“What are the main causes of inflation?
Causes of Inflation

The Money Supply. Inflation is primarily caused by an increase in the money supply that outpaces economic growth. ...
The National Debt. ...
Demand-Pull Effect. ...
Cost-Push Effect. ...
Exchange Rates.”

Economicshelp.org said –

“Inflation is basically a rise in prices.

A more exact definition of inflation is a situation of a sustained increase in the general price level in an economy. Inflation means an increase in the cost of living as the price of goods and services rise.”

The list went on and on.

Dictionary.com said –

“1 ·  Economics. a persistent, substantial rise in the general level of prices related to an increase in the volume of money and resulting in the loss of value of a currency (opposed to deflation).”

Then I went to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online (m-w.com). they said –

“2: a continuing rise in the general price level usually attributed to an increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services “

Then I took out my leather-bound edition of the New Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language

“an expansion of the volume of currency and bank credit, out of proportion to available goods and services, and resulting in a considerable and prolonged rise in prices, wages, and other costs.” Copyright 1975.

Rhetorically, do you think that the omission of the fact that inflation is caused by the action of a government printing more currency than it can back was an oversight? There cannot possibly be that many people in senior-level positions of the organizations positing the definition of inflation who don’t know that the government is its root cause. Therein lies the danger. If you were born after 1980 and taught in a public school in the USA you will not know that fact. I debated that fact with a bank manager at my bank. He asserted his MBA in finance telling me that inflation was a result of the financial imbalance of “many factors”. NO, NO, NO. It is the government printing currency that is backed by nothing, fiat currency, monopoly money!!! Words matter, understanding their meaning is crucial, not “I think” based on what you think it is by context.

The search for such a common term yielded a much more important lesson than its definition; you cannot depend upon electronic sources of information. Certainly, online sources cannot be trusted alone. Furthermore, even if you find hundreds of online sources that validate each other, that is no guarantee that they are correct. The amount of plagiarism, mimicry, and downright theft of content online is mindboggling.

Ray Bradbury had no idea when he wrote Fahrenheit 451 of the technological advances that were soon to come. The book is one of my favorites, everyone should read it. In an interview at Comic-Con he said that his inspiration was, “as a library person he was appalled by the images of Hitler burning books.”: That was the seed of the novel. Who would have known that the destruction of thought, stored knowledge, wisdom, and language would be affected by technology? The government does not have to burn the books because people throw them in the trash on their own volition. People don’t want books, they are cumbersome and expensive.

Conclusion:

When powerful publishers and electronic resources fail to preserve the meaning and context of the language WE MUST DO SO FOR OURSELVES. Unfortunately, there is a problem electronic documents are simple to erase, redact, and alter. Those alterations leave no trace of what was. In an instant change can be made without a trace of the preceding version. I have seen changes and deletions of entire videos, stories, words, etc. They were completely “disappeared.” I have told everyone that I know to buy several 1960’s hardcover dictionaries. Encyclopedias are good too. Ancient history does not change, but the way they present it does. Hard copies are indelible.

If you see a news article online and it is important, print a copy to the printer or better yet to pdf for safekeeping. The Las Vegas mass shooting incident was a powerful example. If you had saved the videos posted by witnesses on the street, moments after, you would have seen how they were all systematically removed over the next 24 hours. There are many free programs that allow you to print to pdf. Checkout Primo PDF or FoxIt Phantom PDF Printer, they are my favorites. When you go to print and article, you chose the program to print to PDF as the printer, name the file, and print. Voila you have hardcopy saved.

]]> 1632 True Preparedness Demands Effort https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/06/21/true-preparedness-demands-effort/ Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:47:22 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1573 Read More]]>

True Preparedness Demands Effort

Those Who Work Hard Survive, Those Who Depend Upon Others Suffer

Even the most cursory assessment of those who are striving to be truly prepared yields a clear common denominator among them. Those who are prepared are willing and driven to work, work hard, relentlessly, and without coercion. They know, either inherently, or by experience that only those who “do things” will survive. The lazy, the greedy, the sycophants will inevitably perish.

"As with all forms and matters of preparedness,
being properly prepared requires effort” WH

Your true level of preparedness is much less dependent upon your financial abilities and the “toys” that you have as it the amount of effort that you wish to dedicate. If you are lazy, you will fail to survive. If you are too embarrassed to build kits, develop skills, and practice you are wasting your time. If you afraid to be ridiculed when you pack your survival gear to take with you, then stop now, this is not for you.

The four basic grades of preparedness and subsets:

  • Survival Voyeur
    • Prepper
  • Active
    • Bushcrafter
    • Survivalist
  • Prepared Practitioner©

Survival Voyeurs are titillated by watching shows depicting survival activities but do nothing for themselves. Preppers watch shows, talk to others who claim skill, buy stuff they are told or fear mongered into getting. The things go into the closet, tubs in the basement, or in the garage. On occasion preppers may play out scenarios or tryout skills with others who are on the cursory fringes. Bushcrafters study and practice “old school skills.” Those skills vary from primitive fire, cordage, and shelter making to hunting and trapping. They develop useful skills if you were to be lost in the wilderness without the advantage of modern tools. The most dedicated of bushcrafters prefer to emulate native American Indian skillsets shunning modern aids. Survivalists run the gambit from runner gunners and bunkers and bullets, to a melding of bushcrafting with modern advantages such as guns, ferocium rods, etc. A Prepared Practitioner© is a fusion of all the others. Respecting time tested skills and knowledge, applying every tool available to speed and refine positive outcomes, the Prepared Practitioner© will exploit anything at hand to survive, and thrive. Active and Prepared Practitioner© demand dedicated, drive and determination, they are not couch potato sports. The rewards are tremendous. The lessons and skills learned positively effect everything that you do.

People living in Western cultures of the 22nd century are the heirs of an easy life. The generations preceding them left a legacy that allows people to “relax,” to spend time on more lofty pursuits than raw survival, allowing them to be soft. Even the poorest of people in first world nations enjoy more and do less than any generation before them, even in civilized nations. It is a double-edged sword. The positive effect is an ability for those of higher intellect to excel to new heights creating technology and broadening the understanding of the world around us. Those advances make everyone’s life better, from the strongest to the weakest, the smartest to the most challenged, everyone benefits. There are negative effects too. People become more sedentary, they lose the drive to work, they are lulled into dependency. The extra time they have allows them to be self-centered, take on trivial pursuits, and reduce their positive contributions to society. As the old saying goes, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

Today we are able to focus on science and the arts, entertainment and leisure. Previous generations, like those in today’s 2nd and 3rd world nations are busy toiling at attaining sustenance such as food, water, shelter, etc. There are even some places in 1st world nations, shunned and ignored by “modern culture”, where people struggle through a hard scrapple life, in the shadows.

Living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life is a result of a complex set of behaviors that span a lifetime, not something that you bought, a class that you attended, or others did for you. Your survival is dependent upon you, your effort, the breadth of your base knowledge, and your drive to survive are the key. The challenge is that the drive required to survive stands in conflict to the lifestyle and trappings of a successful 1st world nation’s people.

We at SurviveWithWill.com, PracticeSurvival.com, PracticePreparedness.com, and more (see other sites tab) hope to excite you to find the simple sustainable security and happiness derived from living and growing in a selfsuffient lifestyle. Whether you are just starting or you have lived your entire life that way, it is not the destination that matters as much as the journey. Our websites, the articles contained in them, and the classes that we provide are geared to add to your journey.

]]> 1573 The Power of Civil Dialectic and Conversation https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/06/20/the-power-of-civil-dialectic-and-conversation/ Wed, 20 Jun 2018 18:46:47 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1561 Read More]]>

Recently, I made a rare Facebook visit to see what I had "missed."  I read a post by a friend on her page. She was lamenting the way people behaved when she and others responded to "friend’s" postings regarding a perennially controversial, touchstone, social, and political issue. Many of the responders to her posting reflected the basic idea that they "just keep scrolling until you see a cat video" (paraphrasing). I was so troubled by the way that thoughtful people are cowed into silence, from civil dissent and conversation, (cowed – manipulated by fear of threats, violence, etc.; intimidated). Such silence threatens our Republic and culture.

Civil dialectic and verbal intercourse are highly stimulating. They excite the mind to learn, investigate, and grow as a person benefiting the whole of society. Free societies only exist through the basic rights of free speech, the right to own property, the right to self-protection, etc. The willful silencing of those who civilly dissent is a threat to all free societies.

During the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s colleges and even high schools taught debating. People would compete for school pride with other schools in debate events. All students were taught refined skills of civil debate. Those skills armed them with a practiced ability to interact with the world at large which regularly presents them with dissenting beliefs and opinions. Since then there has been a subtle retreat from free discussion and debate. Two entire generations have lost the skill of deep, civil, verbal discourse. The evidence of that deficit is obvious in nearly every corner of today’s Western society.

Civil dissent is not expressed through blocking traffic, breaking shop windows, burning vehicles, or threatening violence against the opposition. If people devolve into such behavior, their opposition, over time, will lose their patience and composure. They will eventually respond in kind. We need civil discourse to maintain a civil society, not sound bites, shallow rhetoric, or “gotcha moments.” The only way that controversial issues will be resolved is for both parties to honestly cooperate in a DIALECTIC thoughtful discourse. The outcome is not a winner and a loser, it is the correct resolution, supported by implacable facts.

Sadly, modern mass media and academia has inundated Western culture with an endless stream of images with the intent to normalize the behaviors of a subset of society. The favorite images of hypersensitive, safe space, teddy bear hugging people who fall into depression and childish violent tantrums when presented with dissenting views. They have no problem pushing their views on you. The prevailing narrative is clearly intended to normalize such weak and lazy behaviors. Freedom, civility, and its supporting order depend upon hard work, difficult choices, an engaged population, and a continual straightforward dialectic.

Such problems are solely an ailment of first world nations. In the rest of the world people are busy with important concerns; survival, food, shelter, water, safety, and security. Residents of first world countries can live in their parent’s basements at 35 years of age. The parents and a successful society enable them in the avoidance of labor and engagement in productive endeavors. Those same people believe they have the right to rail about inequities, “fairness,” and “rights”, all the while failing to contribute to the same. People who live self-reliantly have no time to waste on gel nails, bedazzled iPhone covers, and 20-inch spinner wheels. Only opulent, pampered people in nations where the bulk of society is engaged in the work of creation, generation, and the future is it possible for others to “opt-out.” Anywhere else they would struggle and produce or die.

The simple ability to spend so much valuable time on such trivial issues is strictly a result of living in a first world country.

Unfortunately, a predominant number of those "defining" the narrative are not attempting to establish a dialectic ("a way of discovering what is true by considering opposite theories" and empirical data), or even a civil debate. They have no interest in coming to a consensus of the minds. They thrust their ideology upon you refusing any dissent or disagreement. Those who are well versed in a subject relish the opportunity to “change hearts and minds” civilly. Even when misguided they relish the opportunity to sway opinion and positions. A firm grasp on the facts, empirical data, and language is required. Emotional outbursts and rhetoric are commonly deployed as distractions to obscure their true intentions. Most of the time their approach betrays their lack of depth on the topic. They often only know the talking points or their "feelings".

Civilized societies only survive through a complex dance of dialectic, cultural preservation, and law. Empirical data not statistics, facts not feelings, objective versus subjective. Those who fear a dialectic are either uninformed, shallow, or have more insidious intentions.

Conversation is healthy. Sadly, one of greatest threats to accuracy is for people to surround themselves with only those who agree with them. How will you ever detect a flaw in your stance? A change in the data? Only through trial by comparison to opposing views in a civil discourse.Discerning people who are trustworthy, loyal, and honest is a daunting challenge. These highly divisive topics have a silver lining. Those who are exploring the data around the topics and engaging in thoughtful dialectic can apply those results to help fashion well designed solutions. We also have a rare opportunity to cull those who are wolves waiting in the shadows of our hen house. They lay in wait for the moment where their self-interests exceed the value they place on yours. DO NOT SQUANDER THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURGE YOUR CLOSE CIRCLE OF THREATS FROM WITHIN. Part of that approach might be to begin by defining “friend” from acquaintance. Such identification is critical to your survival, happiness, and sanity.

Those who get angry, unfriend, name call, or worse show you their true colors and are likely warning you of other threats to you and your circle. All humans, especially those in close proximity, will eventually disagree. It is how we process and manage those disagreements that make us civil and defines those who are worthy to be in your world from the threats.

The lessons that we learn affect the way that we interact with others. Self-interest is critical for your survival, those for whom you care, and society. You cannot help others, if you are disabled yourself.

Unbridled altruism will disable you if you are not careful, please refer to the article entitled; Survival, Altruism, and Self Interest for more on the topic.

]]> 1561 Survival, Altruism, and Self Interest https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/03/21/survival-altruism-and-self-interest/ Wed, 21 Mar 2018 05:29:37 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1480 Read More]]>

Your survival, the survival of your family, friends and nation depend upon you having self-interest and the desire to protect what is worthy. You must care for yourself in order to protect others. Self-preservation is at the core of survival. Embrace it, do not be ashamed to be willing to fight for your survival. Self-immolation is self-defeating and self-destructive. Such is the edict thrust upon all Westerners every day. Resist the siren’s call. Fight for your right to be you, to do well, to win, to be the best, never fear failure, but always demand excellence.

TV hosts / anchors are hired as "talent" not journalists. They repeat selected narratives from a teleprompter and "give it life", thus repeaters. See Yellow Journalism.

Political pundits and main stream media repeaters have been preaching to Westerners for over a century. They, along with their coconspirators in certain religions and schools, have brainwashed people to follow a toxic edict. Ironically, they are the least likely to adhere to that same edict.

The edict, constructed by design, to assure your failure is a paradox. Once you embark on its prescribed path, you will fail. It is truly evil. It will draw you deeper and deeper into self-destruction. Your failure will enslave you to those imposing the edict upon you. The edict mandates that you contribute to them. You “must contribute” to atone for your failure. Finally, the edict mandates that in response to your failure you must double down on the edict’s self-destructive acts. You desperately suffer in hope of proving your worthiness.

“The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone.” ― Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism

Fulfillment of the edict is impossible. It creates a conundrum of sorts. You must commit acts which violate the edict to be able to fulfill it. The edict implores you to act in a manner whereby you overlook natural instincts. It is necessary to protect yourself in order to survive. The edict demands that you place yourself at risk in order to help others. That act, you are “taught,” is selfless, and virtuous. The edict is based upon selflessness, personified in self-destruction being virtuous. Successful fulfillment of the edict demands your own destruction as the ultimate success. The edict is paradoxical, toxic.

The edict is unbridled altruism.

“Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions and secular worldviews, though the concept of "others" toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions.” - Ayn Rand

Jump to Conclusion

Altruism is the cornerstone of collectivism, communism, and socialism. They survive on the carcasses of those who were free, productive, and self-interested. Karl Marx was an advocate of selflessness. Others learned the usefulness of such a submissive position. They wanted to be the enforcers of such altruism. Marx said, "each according to his ability, each according to his need." Stalin applying that, starved 10 million to death in the Ukraine so that his people could have their land.

The Smithsonian historian Daniel Boorstin said,

"It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress. No agnostic ever burned anyone at the stake or tortured a pagan, a heretic, or an unbeliever." These people look at mankind as sick and in need of drastic, painful (bloody, if need be) surgery. Coming in a close second are the true-believing zealots acting decisively in the name of the “Good and the Just;” the Inquisitor, the Secret Police. Life is cruel, and they make it crueler.

Leftists have been endlessly indoctrinating the people of successful modern Western societies in the virtue of altruism. They use the media and academia to reinforce guilt and self-loathing, a purely first world ailment. Altruistic behaviors feed on such perspectives. The problem is that the left despises the free market, free thought, and self-determination. They wish to teardown the bastions of the free market. Altruism is the ultimate weapon. Each generation that lives under the edict of self-loathing and unbridled altruism will have less, be less successful, and ultimately enslaved by those who wish to control them.

Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil. - Robert A. Heinlein

The point is not to be completely selfish. Simply put, consider the rule they teach you on the airplane. When the air masks drop it means that the cabin has depressurized. That means the oxygen content of the cabin air is not sufficient to maintain life. As a result, they give you implicit instructions to put the mask on yourself prior to helping others. That includes your children. Why? The answer is as obvious as it is simple. If you pass out you will not be able to help them. Self-interest supports aid to those in need.

During his campaign and after his election, President Donald Trump, stressed a simple mandate; “America First.” Love him or hate him facts are facts, his job is to serve the interest of the USA. He went further, while addressing some of the most influential leaders of the world, first at the UN and later in Davos, he clarified his mandate. He said, “I am the President of the United States of America, not the world. My job is to promote and fight for the interests of the USA. You are the leaders of your countries. I expect that you will do the same. If you want to trade or deal with us, we will work for a fair and equitable deal for both of us.”  America First remained his cornerstone.

 

“A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then, the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.” ― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

There is something important to be learned from the aftermath of his assertion. The first to attack the President’s spoken intent to negotiate in deals favoring the interests of the USA was the US media. The media then paraded a litany of Leftist professors and pundits all condemning the idea of self-interest and US dominance all on the air and in print ad nauseum. Of course, several European, Asian, and Middle Eastern nations condemned the idea before a single deal was negotiated or even discussed. Our enemies inadvertently exposed themselves.

The USA has done many great things. We have broken and screwed up some too. Some of our politicians and our oligarchy have done worse. Ironically, the lion’s share of those lecturing US citizens of their duty to be altruistic are the same ones who have committed those acts for which we are bound to atone for. The Clintons mismanaged disaster funds funneled into their Foundation for Haiti. George H W Bush has been buying up the water rights in Paraguay to control industry and peace in the region. The CIA acting for several Presidents and administrations overthrew the leaders of countries, fomented war, assassinated people, and spied on industries for the interest of chosen companies in the USA. In balance, the USA has reaped very little benefit the for nation while altruistically bestowing over 70% of the world with the spoils of our success.

The oligarchy is a different story. They span continents and national lines. They are regularly, overtly and covertly, the spearhead of the toxic, self-loathing, guilt-tripping edict, of altruism thrust upon the citizens of free nations. While they lecture the common people in altruism they exploit those who are suffering. Then they dip into our pockets to invoke altruism to have you donate your money to the “cause.”

“Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.”
– Ayn Rand

The USA holds no monopoly on overreach or self-interest. It is the push and pull of nation state survival. The fact is that if you compare the USA to the rest of the world we have only scraped the surface of self-interest. Nearly every nation around the world practices self-interest, it is survival. The media heralds the idea that that a nation that fights for deals in the best interest of its people and economy is simply self-destructive.

 

Conclusion:

Never help others at the expense of your own safety, security, freedom, or sanity.

“You are of no use to anyone, if you are of no use to yourself ©” – Will Hemingway

 Helping others is humane and good for all. Never lose sight of the fact that the first person that you need to help is yourself. Self-reliance and independence requires that you take care of your needs. Once you are properly cared for by all means, feel free to help others within the length of your “cable tow”; within the scope of a person’s reasonable ability.

Your survival depends upon you taking care of you. Never be ashamed, never be embarrassed, you must be first if we are to survive. Rugged individualism, self-reliance, independent these are the virtues to live by. If we all did, there would be very few who would require an altruistic reprieve.

]]> 1480 Motivation, Manipulation, Coercion, and Enticement https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/03/01/motivation-manipulation-coercion-and-enticement/ Fri, 02 Mar 2018 03:56:21 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1404 Read More]]>

Lessons in life and business that may be learned from servers, waitresses, bartender/maids, exotic dancers, and hookers. Not necessarily in that order. 

*** This article is not intended to be inappropriate. Will’s Universal Maxims # 2 makes the important point that you can learn from anyone. In fact, some of the greatest lessons come from the least likely sources. ***

Lesson # 1

Secure payment upfront. Anyone who has ever made a verbal agreement with someone for payment to cover work or goods has learned that without either advanced payment or binding contract you WILL LOSE.

Hookers know to demand payment upfront. They provide a service to clients. The client, for countless reasons, resorts to buying their pleasures. Negotiating the transaction for the provision of sexual interaction is, as in all negotiations, a battle of supply and demand, value, and cost. Paying upfront, in an agreed and clearly negotiated manner strips the process of the typical social strong arming and manipulation typical to the social version of the 21st century. The purveyor of the pleasures, an expert, perfected by melding innate skills, experience, and result driven learning refines their efficiency and performance. They set or negotiate their prices, the services to be rendered, guaranteed results, and time limits. Coming to same result between two potential partners in a social setting has become very complicated, costly, and often frustrating. The threat that the client will refuse payment is high. While counter intuitive, the problem is quite common. The situation is like a buffet, they make you pay upon entry. They know that after you have eaten the food, if you refuse to pay, there is no way to recover what they ate. When someone wants something, it is "at the moment". The perceived value is tied to the urgency of the moment and want (desire). The better the result, the less likely the client will pay because the urgency will have subsided. The purveyor, understanding the temporal nature of "wants", demands payment in full upfront.

Lesson # 2

Make your client feel special, treat them with respect, and exceed their expectations. Exotic dancers, if they are successful make more money in a single weekend than many people earn in a month, often more than three months. They learn that a careful balance of "friendly", "special" attentiveness, feigning "interest", the air of availability, visual allure, and fulfilling the client’s needs, while providing the minimum necessary to provide the maximum results, all in a timely and friendly manner, are the key to success. Every business and service purveyor should learn from this. Your income, stability, and job security depend upon those that you serve not only being satisfied but desiring to return, again, and again. Never over provide. A client, restaurateur and chef always said, "a good chef provides an exceptional meal, but always, just enough to leave them a little hungry, wanting more." Make them feel like they are the most important one in the room, exceed their expectations, and they will come back for more. Leaders can do the same, feed those who are with you, keep them happy, fulfilled, learning, growing, and they will follow you to the ends of the earth.

Lessons # 3

Put your client first, build a relationship, pay attention to their needs, not yours, remember special details about them upon repeat business. Shed your ego, you will receive more praise for stroking other's egos than pushing your own. Servers (waiters / waitresses) often behave like exotic dancers. Servers are working in within much tighter time constraints than exotic dancers though. The best of them strike a careful balance of "friendly interest", feigning "special" attentiveness, personalized treatment, and visual allure. The ability to remember intimate details of likes, dislikes, quirks, and habits builds a lasting "relationship" with the client. Delivered with skill and a "believable performance" creates "regulars" and increases the server's tip income. The same is true in the interaction between leaders and their subordinates. I have included a pair of quotes from President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower below where he voices similar rules.

 

Conclusion:

*** Warning *** Take note of these manipulative behaviors and guard yourself from them. Avoid the destructive behaviors that such manipulation precipitates. The same applies to personal and business relationships too. Caveat emptor, do not be naïve gird yourself from these methods. During every war and even in peace time, government personnel have fallen prey to such manipulation compromising national security and the security of the unit. A recent example was the “Marine officers are drugged, robbed after Bogotá pub crawl and could face charges.”

Leaders, business people, and anyone who interacts with humans should pay attention to these truisms. There are powerful lessons to be learned from their behaviors, refined skills of social persuasion, and ability to be courteous to the most difficult, flip them, make them happy, and feel special. It costs only time, but the value is often incalculable. Note I am not promoting the idea that you manipulate and lead on others. But there are many lessons about how simply being courteous and friendly, caring, and attentive will make your life and those you deal with better. All for zero cost to you but a little time paying dividends of happiness to all involved.

Men frequent bars because they are lonely, horny, or just want the company of a woman who they like, and / or are attracted to, not always one in the same. Unfortunately, they are often roped in and fleeced by a female bar maid or waitress who, realizes what earns her good tips, and simplifies her job by developing “regulars.” Many a man’s heart along with his bank account has been broken by a waitress (server), bar maid, or exotic dancer. The lucky ones simply enjoy feeling special for a moment, satisfied to remember the feeling or experience it for the first time. Women do also, but to a much lower percentage because while some men are pigs and inappropriate, woman hold the keys to the kingdom even for the lowest in the pecking order.

Leaders would be well served to adopt the aforementioned rules. If you are a good leader, with a just cause, you may begin applying these rules as going through the motions. But, in short order you will absorb them and actually “mean” the behaviors. That invokes two of President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s rules for leaders and life (in his words):

Rule # 1 - A pat on the back is all you need

"Reflecting on his leadership style, Eisenhower remarked, “I adopted a policy of circulating through the whole force to the full limit imposed by my physical considerations. I did my best to meet everyone from the general to private with a smile, a pat on the back and definite interest in his problems.” Eisenhower boosted morale not with inspirational speeches, but with simple, honest, straightforward conversations. Instead of handing out trophies, he gave his soldiers encouraging pats on the back. It was a humble, direct way of reaching out, and it made him a favorite of the troops.

Leaders don’t need to light fireworks to reward hard work and dedication. Honest, meaningful conversation and the occasional pat on the back are sometimes enough to keep people motivated and energized."

Rule # 2 - Be cheerful

"Eisenhower made it his business to be a positive, cheery, and upbeat. He knew optimism, like pessimism, was contagious. By remaining positive and trying to “reflect the cheerful certainty of victory” he believed he could boost individual and company morale. Leaders shouldn’t glower, whine, complain, or pout. They must demonstrate that they are excited about the larger organizational mission and work to cultivate a sense of optimism. Dour behavior from on high has the potential to incite organizational malaise that can spread like wildfire. Be like Ike and make sure your mannerisms and speech reflect a positive attitude."

]]> 1404 Will’s Universal Maxims – Tips for Life https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/02/23/wills-universal-maxims-tips-for-life/ Fri, 23 Feb 2018 20:09:00 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1388 Read More]]>

Updated 03/31/2018 at 02:16:56 hrs

Maxim – def. – A general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct.

Will hopes that applying his “Universal Maxims”, you will find that your daily life is more positive. They put you in charge. These “Universal Maxims” began to reveal themselves to Will over time. It is Will’s core belief that “We are a tapestry of our life’s experiences©." Decades of fact finding and deconstructing complex and often redundant problems yielded many lessons. The “Universal Maxims” are a result of those lessons gleaned from thousands of investigations, interviews, and the analysis of myriad data and evidence. It became evident that in life there are a finite number of base causes, effects, and solutions. No matter how complex or unique that a “problem” or challenge appears to be, most share the same rudimentary elements. Countless lessons learned from trial and error were distilled into these “Universal Maxims”. Embracing the Maxims; problems become much less daunting and more easily solved. Will hopes that they may act as a quick guide to solutions for every day's challenges. These Maxims have been imparted them to thousands while training investigators and personnel around the globe. Many report that the Maxims made a positive change in their lives, hopefully they will be of help to you too.

The “Universal Maxims” are excerpted from Will's book; "The Survival Mind". The goal of our websites and especially Will's book is to fuel a lifelong hunger for learning; Universal Maxim #10. 

Will’s Universal Maxim© #1 – Learn a New Thing Every Day

Learning must be an endless quest. Every day our experiences are brimming with data points;

  • Feelings
  • Emotions
  • Olfactory (Smells)
  • Tactile (Touch)
  • Auditory (Sounds)
  • Visual;
    • Things
    • Angles
    • Shadows
    • Placements
    • Order
    • Disorder
    • Much More

If you watch children interacting with the world for the first time, you will see their wonderment and hunger to experience, log, learn, and master everything around them. That is normally their approach every day until they reach their early teens. It is not unusual for a child to tinker and play, explore, and interact with everything in their reach until they just, literally, fall over where they are asleep. That is the nature of healthy humans, even adults. Sadly, that is not what happens.

# 2 – You Can Learn from Anyone

You can learn something from everyone; no matter who or what their station or walk in life. Regardless of a person's position in life; social, educational, financial status, race, creed, location; they can all teach you something. In order to learn you must be open minded and willing to pay attention. You can also learn from other animate and inanimate things. You can learn from observing flora and fauna too. You can learn how to locate water, shelter, and impending threats too. The world presents us with endless lessons if we pay attention.

# 3 – Arrogance breeds ignorance

Arrogance breeds ignorance. Enough said.

Ego is healthy and necessary in moderation. Ego becomes arrogance when it is allowed to evolve into intolerance. Arrogance kills open minded critical thinking. See Maxim # 7.6

# 4 - Humility is a Sign of Excellence

As a leader or simply just yourself in life, humility is a fundamental necessity. A worthy leader should understand that making mistakes are part of taking action. Each failure is a lesson, a step closer to stable success. Strive to avoid errors. Be humble, never hide your mistakes. Remember that when people see how you treat your mistakes guides those who you lead in how to act when they make them. Be humble, those little mistakes (hopefully small and few) demonstrate your humanity.

# 5 - Garbage in Garbage Out

The fish rots from the head down.

There is a great obvious danger in the world. Although often the threat is clear, for some reason people either simply submit or accept the flaws as inevitable or simply are too lazy to reject them. Of course, the problem is those flaws and everything created by or based upon them will subsequently be flawed, exponentially. Whether it is a flaw in rules, laws, leaders, top level management, those unchecked flaws effect everyone. If you add the butterfly effect the results of our inaction can be catastrophic. See Maxim # 27 "Action versus Inaction"

 6 – Ethics and Morals Underpin Our Survival

  1. Ethics are natural and immaleable.
  2. Morals are negotiated amongst humans.
    1. Always remember that people rarely violate their ethics but often rationalize violating their morals.

# 7 - Humility and Ego – Constant Error Checking

  1. "Humility speaks louder of your true value than anything else."
  2. "The moment you believe that you know everything, you know nothing."
  3. Ignorance is not bliss, it is a temporary euphoria until you get run over by the train of reality.
  4. "The best way to guarantee that your beliefs and opinions are flawed is to surround yourself with only those who agree with you." - WH

    1. You will never be forced to error check yourself if you cannot entertain input from dissenters of your views.
  5. Confidence is firmly based upon proven, repeatable results.
  6. Ego is backed by one’s own perception of themselves.

# 8 - Respect

  1. Respect is earned not given
    1. If you give respect without earning it loses its meaning
  2. "Treat people with respect, no matter what. Treating people with respect reflects upon your character." - WH
    1. In other words; Courtesy is given. Respect is earned. Everyone deserves courtesy, general politeness and consideration.
  3. A person cannot force another to "truly" respect them
    1. Respect may be gained through coercion.
    2. Respect may be gained through submission or enslavement.
      1. They may act like they respect them but it will undermine the situation
      2. Coerced respect is short lived

# 9 - Tapestry of Our Experiences

We are a tapestry of our life’s experiences. ©

# 10 - Basic Human Behaviors

Without language and civil discourse, we as humans revert to these basic human traits:

All humans are inherently.

  1. Lazy
    1. We begin lazy.
  2. Greedy
    1. We see others have things that we want (greed)
  3. Violent
    1. We want it so much that we take it (violent)

No matter how far that we advance from the root human tendencies those inherent traits remain just beneath the surface. People “behave” when they believe that someone will see what they do. Nearly everyone “misbehaves” outside of a watchful eye or the threat to detection. It is for that reason that religion throughout millennia has hung some version of the threat of “hell,” eternal damnation, or the sword of Damocles over the masses in order to maintain order and civil behavior. Check out the article entitled, “Why are people brutal?” to expand upon some related ideas.   t people perceive themselves to be. It becomes more likely that they will digress into selfish

# 11 - Communication

  1. Civil discourse is crucial for the survival of societal order.
  2. Thoughtful debate is the lynch pin to a balanced and well proven set of morals and beliefs.
  3. The most critical form of communications is listening. Always entertain the ideas and opinions of those who, civilly, disagree with you.
    1. the most dangerous thing is to surround yourself with only those who agree with you.
      1. There is no motivation to double check your facts and position.
      2. There is no risk for being wrong, even if you are.
      3. The challenge of civil opposition fosters growth and learning.

 # 12 - Words Have Meanings

Respecting language, taking the time and trouble to learn its proper usage, application, and some respect for the meaning of words protects not only the language but the culture and the society that is represents. Language is a key glue that holds the society together.

  1. Language is a key glue that holds the society together. Respecting language
  2. Language; words, are the key to communication.
  3. No single action is as important the survival of a society (nation) than the careful stewardship of the language (words).
  4. A strong focus on education in the proper usage and application of language and its words is necessary to maintain.
  5. Respect for the meaning of words protects not only the language but the culture and the society that is represents.

# 13 - Happiness is fleeting

"Happiness is fleeting; like a sunset, it comes in brief spurts." - WH

  • Sometimes it only lasts 5 minutes; like a sunset.
  • Other times it lasts a day; like time in the outdoors. 
  • Take note, and rejoice in the moment, nothing lasts forever.
  • Savor the moments share them if you can.
  • Those moments help us weather the challenges of life.

# 14 - The Fundamental Nature of Life - The Cold Hard Facts of Life

  1. Life is not fair.
  2. Life is rarely predictable.
  3. Life is a complex and chaotic human endeavor.
  4. Life is a clash of opposing wills.
    1. (Adapted and borrowed two of the three, 3 & 4, enduring truths that describe the fundamental nature of war, from the USA war college).

There is no spring without a winter, No life without death.

# 15 - Victimhood

  1. You are only a victim when you cede your right to be in charge.
  2. You are never in control, but you can choose to be in charge, all of the time.
  3. Putting on the mantle of victimhood is an act of giving up and giving in.

# 16 - Quid Pro Quo

  1. Healthy interactions require a fair exchange
  2. You cannot help others if you have ignored oneself.

# 17 - Negotiate for Everything - Never Take the First Offer

If the seller offers you something for free, they were likely having a hard time selling it.

Whether negotiating a strategic position, a contract, the price on a vehicle, or dinner out, those on the other side will always leave room for negotiation. NEVER LEAVE THAT "ROOM" ON  THE TABLE. 

# 18 - Potential vs. Known Threat

A Potential Threat is Always More Daunting Than a Known Threat. The key point strategically is that they don't know what they don't know, the unknown is the danger. You cannot prepare for it, you cannot plan for it.

# 19 - Expectations

  1. Nothing is free under the sun.
    1. They would not give you something for free if they could get you to pay for it.
    2. Ask yourself, in order to receive that free thing, what are you agreeing to pay for that you never would otherwise?
  2. If something appears to be too good to be true, it is.
  3. Never overlook the butterfly effect.

  # 20 - Patience

  1. Thoughtful transition to action will save you many a troubling moment.
  2. “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
  3. You know the saying, “patience is a virtue”. In fact, patience is the act of intellect and self-control.

# 21 - The (devil) solution is in the details

Pay attention to the details, all answers are present, one simply needs to see it.

# 22 - Measure Twice, Cut Once

Details are everything, refer to Maxim # 20. You can measure 2 or 10 times, simply be right, accurate. Be clear that you understand all of the details prior to cutting. You can't take the cut back once you do it. Always double check. In fact, if you have someone else who is invested and understands have them check too.

# 23 -  Compromise

  1. There are three states in human interaction
    1. Compromise
    2. Tyranny
    3. Slavery
  2. Everything in life requires compromise
    1. The key is to only compromise as long as it does not compromise your freedoms and rights.
  3. The USA is a Republic not a Democracy, that is because a true democracy is chaos.
    1. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights recognized unalienable rights and promised, under contract with the people, to protect them and keep them unmolested.
    2. A Democracy is chaos;
      1. Everyone gets what they want
      2. Therefore no one gets what they want
    3. Democracy will always descend into majority rule, where two wolves and one lamb vote on what is for dinner.

# 24 - Trust

  1. In the 2003 remake of the movie “the Italian Job” there is a great line. It presents a rule to live by when you deal with people.
    1. “I trust everyone. It's the devil inside them I don't trust”
  2. Ronald Reagan was especially known for his trust precept, which he repeated to Mikhail Gorbachev repeatedly. The origin of the phrase is actually from a Russian proverb, "doveryai no proveryai" Доверяй, но проверяй
    1. Trust but verify

# 25 - Responsibility

  1. With great power, comes great responsibility.
    1. Everything that we have, every time that we take power over something or someone, inherently comes with a level of responsibility.

# 26 - Emotions, Stoicism, and Analytical Thinking

  1. Stoic Thought is a balance or Analytical thought and Emotions.
    1. Stoicism leans analytical but respects the balance added by guarded emotion.
    2. Leaders are best served by a stoic nature.
  2. Emotional thought is often illogical and unpredictable.
    1. Emotions are important
    2. Emotions are what define our humanity
    3. The danger with unchecked emotion is that if a person regularly experiences high, highs, they will inevitably experience low, lows.
    4. Unchecked emotions are destructive and disruptive.
  3. Analytical thought is cold and calculating.

# 27 – Feelings ARE NOT FACTS

It is simple, feelings are emotional, subjective, biased, malleable, unstable, NOT REAL. Factual statements are based upon OBJECTIVE evidence. Evidence which can be repeated by peers and detractors. Refer to Maxim # 21 if there are any questions.

# 28 - Innovation and Risk Aversion

  • Innovation is invention
  • Invention is risk
  • Dare to win, dare to fail
  • Risk Aversion kills innovation and success
  • Risk is a inescapable part of decision making.
    • The hunger for knowledge diminishes with age, in most people.
    • Risk plays a part in the belief in human limitations.

# 29 - Action versus Inaction

  1. Taking no action is still an action.
  2. Inaction is the lowliest form of action.
  3. Inaction enslaves you to the will and actions of others.
  4. You should never forget the Butterfly Effect
    1. The concept that small causes can have large effects
    2. Essentially, your actions must be well considered, as they may affect much more than that which you intended.

# 30 -The Law of Unintended Consequences

Edward Norton Lorenz; Professor Emeritus at MIT co-developed "The Chaos Theory" discrediting "Determinism." He coined the term,"The Butterfly Effect."

Originally he intended to develop a theorem to apply toward computational chaos. Lorenz was developing the chaos theory he coined the term the “butterfly effect.” The butterfly effect is the concept that small causes can have large effects, state of a deterministic nonlinear system. nonlinear dynamics and deterministic chaos. He found order in chaos.

Today "The Butterfly Effect" has crossed the boundary into sociological and the general social conversation. Will suggests that the idea of "The Butterfly Effect" was; nothing in life is linear. 

# 31 - Predictability and Chaos

  1. Nothing in life can is totally predicable from a human standpoint.
  2. Chaos is a given in the world, it is ubiquitous.
    1. Chaos – When the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future

# 32 - Coincidence

  1. There is no such thing as a coincidence.
    1. When something falls over when someone opens the door into the room, it is not a coincidence, it is a series of actions, reactions and a result. That is true throughout life.
  2. Nothing happens by accident. (See coincidence)
  3. Everything is a result of action; taken or not taken.

# 33 - Theories Are Only Starting Points

  1. Theory denotes the word theoretical which is defined as impractical.
  2. Actions taken based upon theory depends upon faith that if you act in line with the theory that you will get the desired result.

# 34 - Creative Problem Solving

Every challenge can be solved by breaking it into its individual parts.

    1. Industries build complex things by breaking them into assemblies. The assemblies are then joined into a process. Those processes come together to make a total product or complete an action. Problem solving is like reverse engineering.

# 35 - Attitudes and Approach

  1. Every problem can be resolved by reducing it to its root components
  2. There is nothing new in this world
    1. Embrace this fact and stress and confusion melts
    2. Study history and you will likely learn how to resolve anything that you encounter
  3. What seems impossible to you, is simple to someone else

# 36 - Knowledge

  1. Knowledge is not power; Wisdom and Enlightenment are.
  2. Knowledge; facts are the beginning not the end.
  3. The goal in life is to own what you know, become enlightened, so that you can give your knowledge and wisdom to another so that they may do the same.
  4. You never truly “know” something unless you can put it to action.
  5. If you don’t “know” never say that you do.
  6. You only “know” if you can demonstrate it, hands on.

# 37 - Strive to Do It Right the First Time

Each time that you perform a task, you connect a Dendrite through an Axon to an Axon Terminal creating a neural pathway. If the first time that you do something it was done wrong, you run the risk of establishing a neural pathway "imprinting the memory" of the mistake. Have you ever driven to a place that you never had been to before? If you got lost going there, did you repeat that same mistake the next time that you went? After a few trips repeating the original mistake(s), you will have "burned in" the neural pathway of how to get there unfortunately, repeating the original mistake. That is why you should exploit all sources of proper input when doing new things. Avoid being forced to retrain yourself to do it right. Learn from others qualified to instruct and guide you. Repetitively performing the actions correctly establishes a proper neural pathway. Many know this activity as creating "muscle memory."

# 38 - Bias – Natural and Learned

  1. Bias is unavoidable
    1. As civilized people with advanced general education communication erases most natural biases.
    2. Poor and negative behaviors are not protected under this scenario because they are justified protective acts.
  2. Prejudice is a clear example of natural bias.
    1. Trepidation of the unknown is healthyCreative Problem SolvingEvery challenge can be solved by breaking it into its individual parts.
    1. Industries build complex things by breaking them into assemblies. The assemblies are then joined into a process. Those processes come together to make a total product or complete an action. Problem solving is like reverse engineering.

# 39 - You Are the Only Limitation to Your Potential

Humans have nearly unlimited potential. Every day something or someone “teaches” us that we cannot. For the most part, we can, but when we “learn” that we cannot, we rarely try again. We must constantly strive to prove that we can, dispel the neigh Sayers and succeed despite them.

Explanatory Note:

As we grow, mature, learn, interact with the world we do so in large part through the nurturing of others around us. As the blank slate, ready to molded into a masterpiece, the child in Universal Maxim #1, we begin processing data. We learn from trial and error. Language does not allow others to get in the way. Only experience, forced deprivation, and violence can sway our learning. Then language enters and allows others to posit ideas and limitations in our psyches. As our social circles (other babies, caregivers, daycare, preschool, etc.) The raw data and learning process is immediately derailed. Instead of allowing the child to foster, with quality oversight, experiences and learn natural skills, propensities, and pleasures, others begin to dictate, and even mandate “the way things are.”

Once we are thrust into the social and institutional circles of modern society human learning completely changes. Institutional learning was originally created to level the base skills available to all US Citizens in order to assure enough workers for the factories and business. It makes good sense for the government to foster intellectual competence. It is good for the economy and good for the general peace. Unfortunately, theory and reality rarely meet at the end of the tunnel without a train wreck.

My Grandfather infected me with an insatiable hunger for knowledge. The problem, he said, was that no one ever taught most people to crave knowledge. My Sunday School teacher, when I was 12 years old, told me about how different people learn in different ways. Later in life I studied Howard Gardner’s – Multiple Intelligences, it validated everything that I had already surmised; institutionalized education stunts growth and excellence. Check out these two websites for more information on Howard Gardner and MI (Multiple Intelligences).

More on MI and Howard Gardner in another article.

There are two rather simple reasons. The primary reason that our learning tapers off is that we are taught by institutional learning and ourselves what we cannot do. The second reason is as stated in the first paragraph; humans are either taught what we cannot do. Finally, some people are simply inherently lazy.

The idea of institutionalized learning was sold to the American people as a baseline assurance that all citizens would be able to perform basic necessary tasks and functions. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. Over the years the institutional learning system, now known as the US Department of Education, mandates much more than the original intent. They are involved in social indoctrination, sex education, and many more things which have nothing to do with baseline performance. The most outrageous thing is that they are not even allowed to mandate proficiency in the English Language. Language being the cornerstone of what binds a civil society together should be the top priority of a national educational mandate.

# 40 - Survival

Do not wait for the crisis to arrive, before you consider the solution. It is not if, it is when.

 

  1. “There is no disaster when you are prepared ™”. PracticeSurvival’s Rule
  2. Crises are generally a result of apathy or neglect

# 41 - Planning

  1. Planning is an essential part of being proactive.
  2. Plans should be based upon solid historical data and proven processes.
  3. Often plans are based upon theoretical ideas that the planners are not even of. Those theories are often destructive.
  4. You spend at least 80% of your waking hours working, you must love what you do or you will through away your life.

 

]]> 1388 Napoleon’s Maxims of War https://www.survivewithwill.com/2018/01/09/napoleons-maxims-war/ Wed, 10 Jan 2018 04:12:20 +0000 http://www.survivewithwill.com/?p=1046 Read More]]>

Napoleon's Maxims of War are an interesting window into the thoughts of one of the most well-known and notorious Military minds in history; Napoleon Bonaparte with notes by General Burnod, translated from the original in French by Lieutenant General Sir G.C. D'Aguilar, C.B., and published by David McKay of Philadelphia in 1902

Maxim
I.

The frontiers of states are either large rivers, or chains of mountains, or deserts. Of all these obstacles to the march of an army, the most difficult to overcome is the desert; mountains come next, and broad rivers occupy the third place.

Maxim
II.

In forming the plan of a campaign, it is requisite to foresee everything the enemy may do, and to be prepared with the necessary means to counteract it. Plans of campaign may be modified, ad infinitum, according to circumstances -- the genius of the general, the character of the troops, and the topography of the theater of action.

Maxim
III.

An army which undertakes the conquest of a country has its two wings resting either upon neutral territories, or upon great natural obstacles, such as rivers or chains of mountains. It happens in some cases that only one wing is so supported, and in others that both are exposed.

Maxim
IV.

When the conquest of a country is undertaken by two or three armies, which have each their separate line of operation, until they arrive at a point fixed upon for their concentration, it should be laid down as a principle, that the union of these different corps should never take place near the enemy: because the enemy, in uniting his forces, may not only prevent this junction, but may beat the armies in detail.

Maxim
V.

All wars should be governed by certain principles, for every war should have a definite object, and be conducted according to the rules of art. (A war should only be undertaken with forces proportioned to the obstacles to be overcome.)

Maxim
VI.

At the commencement of a campaign, to advance or not to advance is a matter for grave consideration; but when once the offensive has been assumed, it must be sustained to the last extremity. However skillful the maneuvers in a retreat, it will always weaken the morale of an army, because in losing the chances of success these last are transferred to the enemy.

Besides, retreats always cost more men and materiel than the most bloody engagements; with this difference, that in a battle the enemy's loss is nearly equal to your own--whereas in a retreat the loss is on your side only.

Maxim
VII.

An army should be ready every day, every night and at all times of the day and night, to oppose all the resistance of which it is capable. With this view, the soldier should always be furnished completely with arms and ammunition; the infantry should never be without its artillery, its cavalry, and its generals; and the different divisions of the army should be constantly in a state to support, to be supported, and to protect itself.

The troops, whether halted, or encamped, or on the march, should be always in favorable positions, possessing the essentials required for a field of battle; for example, the flanks should be well covered, and all the artillery so placed as to have free range, and to play with the greatest advantage. When an army is in column of march, it should have advanced guards and flanking parties, to examine well the country in front, to the right, and to the left, and always at such distance as to enable the main body to deploy into position.

Maxim
VIII.

A general-in-chief should ask himself frequently in the day, "What should I do if the enemy's army appeared now in my front, or on my right, or my left?" If he have any difficulty in answering these questions, his position is bad, and he should seek to remedy it.

Maxim
IX.

The strength of an army, like the power in mechanics, is estimated by multiplying the mass by the rapidity; a rapid march augments the morale of an army, and increases its means of victory. Press on!

Maxim
X.

When an army is inferior in number, inferior in cavalry, and in artillery, it is essential to avoid a general action. The first deficiency should be supplied by rapidity of movement; the want of artillery, by the nature of the maneuvers; and the inferiority in cavalry, by the choice of positions. In such circumstances the morale of the soldier does much.

Maxim
XI.

To direct operations with lines far removed from each other, and without communications, is to commit a fault which always gives birth to a second. The detached column has only its orders for the first day. Its operations on the following day depend upon what may have happened to the main body. Thus, this column either loses time upon emergency, in waiting for orders, or it will act without them, and at hazard. Let it therefore be held as a principle, that an army should always keep its columns so united as to prevent the enemy from passing between them with impunity.

Whenever, for particular reasons, this principle is departed from, the detached corps should be independent in their operations. They should move toward a point fixed upon for their future junction. They should advance without hesitating and without waiting for fresh orders; and every precaution should be taken to prevent an attack upon them in detail.

Maxim
XII.

An army ought to have only one line of operation. This should be preserved with care, and never abandoned but in the last extremity.


Maxim
XIII.

The distances permitted between corps of an army upon the march must be governed by the localities, by circumstances, and by the object in view.

Maxim
XIV.

Among mountains, a great number of positions are always to be found very strong in themselves, and which it is dangerous to attack. The character of this mode of warfare consists in occupying camps on the flanks or in the rear of the enemy, leaving him only the alternative of abandoning his position without fighting, to take up another in the rear, or to descend from it in order to attack you. In mountain warfare, the assailant has always the disadvantage; even in offensive warfare in the open field, the great secret consists in defensive combats, and in obliging the enemy to attack.

Maxim
XV.

The first consideration with a general who offers battle should be the glory and honor of his arms; the safety and preservation of his men is only the second; but it is in the enterprise and courage resulting from the former that the latter will most assuredly be found. In a retreat, besides the honor of the army, the loss of life is often greater than in two battles.

For this reason, we should never despair while brave men are to be found with their colors. It is by this means we obtain victory, and deserve to obtain it.

Maxim
XVI.

It is an approved maxim in war, never to do what the enemy wishes you to do, for this reason alone, that he desires it. A field of battle, therefore, which he has previously studied and reconnoitered, should be avoided and double care should be taken where he has had time to fortify and entrench. One consequence deducible from this principle is, never to attack a position in front which you can gain by turning.

Maxim
XVII.

In a war of march and maneuver, if you would avoid a battle with a superior army, it is necessary to entrench every night, and occupy a good defensive position. Those natural positions which are ordinarily met with are not sufficient to protect an army against superior numbers without recourse to art.

Maxim
XVIII.

A general of ordinary talent occupying a bad position, and surprised by a superior force, seeks his safety in retreat; but a great captain supplies all deficiencies by his courage, and marches boldly to meet the attack.

By this means he disconcerts his adversary; and if the latter shows any irresolution in his movements, a skillful leader, profiting by his indecision, may even hope for victory, or at least employ the day in maneuvering -- at night he entrenches himself, or falls back to a better position. By this determined conduct he maintains the honor of his arms, the first essential to all military superiority.

Maxim
XIX.

The transition from the defensive to the offensive is one of the most delicate operations in war.

Maxim
XX.

It may be laid down as a principle, that the line of operation should not be abandoned; but it is one of the most skillful maneuvers in war, to know how to change it, when circumstances authorize or render this necessary.

An army which changes skillfully its line of operation deceives the
enemy, who becomes ignorant where to look for its rear, or upon what weak points it is assailable.

Maxim
XXI.

When an army carries with it a battering train, or large convoys of sick and wounded, it cannot march by too short a line upon its depots.

Maxim
XXII.

The art of encamping in position is the same as taking up the line in order of battle in this position. To this end, the artillery should be advantageously placed, ground should be selected which is not commanded or liable to be turned, and, as far as possible, the guns should cover and command the surrounding country.

Maxim
XXIII.

When you are occupying a position which the enemy threatens to surround, collect all your force immediately, and menace him with an offensive movement. By this maneuver you will prevent him from detaching and annoying your flanks, in case you should judge it necessary to retire.

Maxim
XXIV.

Never lose sight of this maxim, that you should establish your cantonments at the most distant and best protected point from the enemy, especially where a surprise is possible. By this means you will have time to unite all your forces before he can attack you.

Maxim
XXV.

When two armies are in order of battle, and one has to retire over a bridge, while the other has the circumference of the circle open, all the advantages are in favor of the latter. It is then a general should show boldness, strike a decided blow, and maneuver upon the flank of his enemy. The victory is in his hands.

Maxim
XXVI.

It is contrary to all true principle to make corps, which have no communication with each other, act separately against a central force whose communications are cut off.

Maxim
XXVII.

When an army is driven from a first position, the retreating columns should rally always sufficiently in the rear, to prevent any interruption from the enemy. The greatest disaster that can happen is when the columns are attacked in detail, and before their junction.

Maxim
XXVIII.

No force should be detached on the eve of a battle, because affairs may change during the night, either by the retreat of the enemy, or by the arrival of large reinforcements to enable him to resume the offensive, and counteract your previous arrangements.

Maxim
XXIX.

When you have resolved to fight a battle, collect your whole force. Dispense with nothing. A single battalion sometimes decides the day.

Maxim
XXX.

Nothing is so rash or so contrary to principle as to make a flank march before an army in position, especially when this army occupies heights at the foot of which you are forced to defile.

Maxim
XXXI.

When you determine to risk a battle, reserve to yourself every possible chance of success, more particularly if you have to deal with an adversary of superior talent; for if you are beaten, even in the midst of your magazines and your communications, woe to the vanquished!

Maxim
XXXII.

The duty of an advanced guard does not consist of advancing or retiring, but in maneuvering. An advanced guard should be composed of light cavalry, supported by a reserve of heavy cavalry, and by battalions of infantry, supported also by artillery. An advanced guard should consist of picked troops, and the general officers, officers and men should be selected for their respective capabilities and knowledge. A corps deficient in instruction is only an embarrassment to an advanced guard.

Maxim
XXXIII.

It is contrary to the usages of war to allow parks or batteries of artillery to enter a defile, unless you hold the other extremity. In case of retreat, the guns will embarrass your movements, and be lost. They should be left in position under a sufficient escort, until you are master of the opening.

Maxim
XXXIV.

It should be laid down as a principle, never to have intervals by which the enemy can penetrate between corps formed in order of battle, unless it be to draw him into a snare.

Maxim
XXXV.

Encampments of the same army should always be formed so as to protect each other.

Maxim
XXXVI.

When the enemy's army is covered by a river, upon which he holds several tetes de pont, do not attack in front. This would divide your force and expose you to be turned. Approach the river in echelon of columns; in such a manner that the leading column shall be the only one the enemy can attack, without offering you his flank. In the meantime, let your light troops occupy the bank, and when you have decided on the point of passage, rush upon it and fling across your bridge. Observe that the point of passage should be always at a distance from the leading echelon, in order to deceive the enemy.

Maxim
XXXVII.

From the moment you are master of a position which commands the opposite bank, facilities are acquired for effecting the passage of the river; above all, if this position is sufficiently extensive to place upon it artillery in force. This advantage is diminished if the river is more than three hundred toises (or six hundred yards) in breadth, because the distance being out of the range of grape, it is easy for the troops which defend the passage to line the bank and get under cover. Hence it follows that if the grenadiers, ordered to pass the river for the protection of the bridge, should reach the other side, they would be destroyed by the fire of the  enemy; because his batteries, placed at the distance of two hundred toises from  the landing, are capable of a most destructive effect, although removed above five hundred toises from the batteries of the crossing force. Thus the advantage of the artillery would be exclusively his. For the same reason, the passage is impracticable, unless you succeed in surprising the enemy, and are protected by an intermediate island, or unless you are able to take advantage of an angle in the river, to establish a cross-fire upon his works. In this case the island or angle forms a natural tete de pont, and gives the advantage in artillery to the attacking army. When a river is less than sixty toises (or one hundred and twenty yards) in breadth, and you have a post upon the other side, the troops which are thrown across derive such advantages from the protection of your artillery, that, however small the angle may be, it is impossible for the enemy to prevent the establishment of a bridge. In this case, the most skillful generals, when they have discovered the project of their adversary, and brought their own army to the point of crossing, usually content themselves with opposing the passage of the bridge, by forming a semicircle round its extremity, as round the opening of a defile, and removing to the distance of three or four hundred toises from the fire of the opposite side.

Maxim
XXXVIII.

It is difficult to prevent an enemy supplied with pontoons from crossing a river. When the object of an army which defends the passage is to cover a siege, the moment the general has ascertained his inability to oppose the passage, he should take measures to arrive before the enemy, at an intermediate position between the river he defends and the place he desires to cover.

Maxim
XXXIX.

In the campaign of 1645, Turenne was attacked with his army before Philipsburg by a very superior force. There was no bridge here over the Rhine, but he took advantage of the ground between the river and the place to establish his camp. This should serve as a lesson to engineer officers, not merely in the construction of fortresses, but of "tetes de pont". A space should always be left between the fortress and the river, where an army may form and rally without being obliged to throw itself into the place, and thereby compromise its security. An army retiring upon Mayence before a pursuing enemy is necessarily compromised; for this reason, because it requires more than a day to pass the bridge, and because the lines of Cassel are too confined to admit an army to remain there without being blocked up. Two hundred toises should have been left between that place and the Rhine. It is essential that all "tetes de pont" before great rivers should be constructed upon this principle; otherwise they will prove a very inefficient assistance to protect the passage of a retreating army. "Tetes de pont", as laid down in our schools, are of use only for small rivers, the passage of which is comparatively short.

Maxim
XL.

Fortresses are equally useful in offensive and defensive warfare. It is true they will not in themselves arrest an army, but they are an excellent means of retarding, embarrassing, weakening, and annoying a victorious enemy.

Maxim
XLI.

There are only two ways of insuring the success of a siege. The first, to begin by beating the enemy's army employed to cover the place, forcing it out of the field, and throwing its remains beyond some great natural obstacle, such as a chain of mountains, or large river. Having accomplished this object, an army of observation should be placed behind the natural obstacle, until the trenches are finished and the place taken.

But if it be desired to take the place in presence of a relieving army, without risking a battle, then the whole materiel and equipment for a siege are necessary to begin with, together with ammunition and provisions for the presumed period of its duration, and also lines of contravallation and circumvallation, aided by all the localities of heights, woods, marshes, and inundations.

Having no longer occasion to keep up communications with your depots, it is now only requisite to hold in check the relieving army. For this purpose, an army of observation should be formed, whose business it is never to lose sight of that of the enemy, and which, while it effectively bars all access to the place, has always time enough to arrive upon his flanks or rear in case he should attempt to steal a march.

It is to be remembered, too, that by profiting judiciously by the lines of contravallation, a portion of the besieging army will always be available in giving battle to the approaching enemy.

Upon the same general principle, when a place is to be besieged in presence of an enemy's army, it is necessary to cover the siege by lines of circumvallation.

If the besieging force is of numerical strength enough (after leaving a corps before the place four times the amount of the garrison) to cope with the relieving army, it may remove more than one day's march from the place; but if it be inferior in numbers after providing for the siege as above stated, it should remain only a short day's march from the spot, in order to fall back upon its lines, if necessary, or receive succor in case of attack.

If the investing corps and army of observation are only equal when united to the relieving force, the besieging army should remain entire within, or near its lines, and push the works and the siege with the greatest activity.

Maxim
XLII.

Fauquier says that "we should never wait for the enemy in the lines of circumvallation, but we should go out and attack him." He is in error. There is no authority in war without exception; and it would be dangerous to proscribe the principle of awaiting the enemy within the lines of circumvallation.

Maxim
XLIII.

Those who proscribe lines of circumvallation, and all the assistance which the science of the engineer can afford, deprive themselves gratuitously of an auxiliary which is never injurious, almost always useful, and often indispensable.

It must be admitted at the same time, that the principles of field-fortification require improvement. This important branch of the art of war has made no progress since the time of the ancients. It is even inferior at this day to what it was two thousand years ago. Engineer officers should be encouraged in bringing this branch of their art to perfection, and in placing it upon a level with the rest.

Maxim
XLIV.

If circumstances prevent a sufficient garrison being left to defend a fortified town which contains a hospital and magazines, at least every means should be employed to secure the citadel against a coup de main.

Maxim
XLV.

A fortified place can only protect the garrison and detain the enemy for a certain time. When this time has elapsed, and the defenses of the place are destroyed, the garrison should lay down its arms. All civilized nations are agreed on this point, and there never has been an argument except with reference to the greater or less degree of defense which a governor is bound to make before he capitulates. At the same time, there are generals--Villars among the number--who are of opinion that a governor should never surrender, but that in the last extremity he should blow up the fortifications, and take advantage of the night to cut his way through the besieging army. Where he is unable to blow up the fortifications, he may always retire, they say, with his garrison, and save the men.

Officers who have adopted this line of conduct have often brought off three-fourths of their garrison.

Maxim
XLVI.

The keys of a fortress are well worth the retirement of the garrison, when it is resolved to yield only on those conditions. On this principle it is always wiser to grant an honorable capitulation to a garrison which has made a vigorous resistance, than to risk an assault.

Maxim
XLVII.

Infantry, cavalry, and artillery are nothing without each other; therefore, they should always be so disposed in cantonments as to assist each other in case of surprise.

Maxim
XLVIII.

The formation of infantry in line should be always in two ranks, because the length of the musket only admits of an effective fire in this formation.

The discharge of the third rank is not only uncertain, but frequently dangerous to the ranks in its front. In drawing up infantry in two ranks, there should be a supernumerary behind every fourth of fifth file. A reserve should likewise be placed twenty-five paces in rear of each flank.

Maxim
XLIX.

The practice of mixing small bodies of infantry and cavalry together is a bad one, and attended with many inconveniences. The cavalry loses its power of action. It becomes fettered in all its movements. Its energy is destroyed; even the infantry itself is compromised, for on the first movement of the cavalry it's left without support. The best mode of protecting cavalry is to cover its flank.

Maxim
L.

Charges of cavalry are equally useful at the beginning, the middle, and the end of a battle. They should be made always, if possible, on the flanks of the infantry, especially when the latter is engaged in front.

Maxim
LI.

It is the business of cavalry to follow up the victory, and to prevent the beaten enemy from rallying.

Maxim
LII.

Artillery is more essential to cavalry than to infantry, because cavalry has no fire for its defense, but depends upon the saber. It is to remedy this deficiency that recourse has been had to horse-artillery. Cavalry, therefore, should never be without cannon, whether when attacking, rallying, or in position.

Maxim
LIII.

In march, or in position, the greater part of the artillery should be with the divisions of infantry and cavalry. The rest should be in reserve. Each gun should have with it three hundred rounds, without including the limber. This is about the complement for two battles.

Maxim
LIV.

Artillery should always be placed in the most advantageous positions, and as far in front of the line of cavalry and infantry as possible, without compromising the safety of the guns.

Field batteries should command the whole country round from the level of the platform. They should on no account be masked on the right and left, but have free range in every direction.

Maxim
LV.

A general should never put his army into cantonments when he has the means of collecting supplies of forage and provisions, and of thus providing for the wants of the soldier in the field.

Maxim
LVI.

A good general, a well-organized system, good instructions, and severe discipline, aided by effective establishments, will always make good troops, independently of the cause for which they fight.

At the same time, a love of country, a spirit of enthusiasm, a sense of national honor, and fanaticism will operate upon young soldiers with advantage.

Maxim
LVII.

When a nation is without establishments and a military system, it is very difficult to organize an army.

Maxim
LVIII.

The first qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and privation. Courage is only the second; hardship, poverty, and want are the best school for the soldier.

Maxim LIX.

There are five things the soldier should never be without--his musket, his ammunition, his knapsack, his provisions (for at least four days), and his entrenching tool. The knapsack may be reduced to the smallest size possible, if it be thought proper, but the soldier should always have it with him.

Maxim LX.

Every means should be taken to attach the soldier to his colors. This is best accomplished by showing consideration and respect to the old soldier. His pay likewise should increase with his length of service. It is the height of injustice not to pay a veteran more than a recruit.

Maxim
LXI.

It is not set speeches at the moment of battle that render soldiers brave. The veteran scarcely listens to them, and the recruit forgets them at the first discharge. If discourses and harangues are useful, it is during the campaign; to do away with unfavorable impressions, to correct false reports, to keep alive a proper spirit in the camp, and to furnish materials and amusement for the bivouac. All printed orders of the day should keep in view these objects.

Maxim
LXII.

Tents are unfavorable to health. The soldier is best when he bivouacs, because he sleeps with his feet to the fire, which speedily dries the ground on which he lies. A few planks, or a little straw, shelter him from the wind.

On the other hand, tents are necessary for the superior officers, who have to write and to consult their maps. Tents should therefore be issued to these, with directions to them never to sleep in a house. Tents are always objects of observation to the enemy's staff. They afford information in regard to your numbers and the ground you occupy, while an army bivouacking in two or three lines is only distinguishable from afar by the smoke which mingles with the clouds. It is impossible to count the number of the fires.

Maxim
LXIII.

All the information obtained from prisoners should be received with caution, and estimated at its real value. A soldier seldom sees anything beyond his company; and an officer can afford intelligence of little more than the position and movements of the division to which his regiment belongs. On this account the general of an army should never depend upon the information derived from prisoners, unless it agrees with the reports received from the advanced guards, in reference to the position, etc., of the enemy.

Maxim
LXIV.

Nothing is so important in war as an undivided command; for this reason, when war is carried on against a single power, there should be only one army, acting upon one base, and conducted by one chief.

Maxim
LXV.

The same consequences which have uniformly attended long discussions and councils of war will follow at all times. They will terminate in the adoption of the worst course, which in war is always the most timid, or, if you will, the most prudent. The only true wisdom in a general is determined courage.

Maxim
LXVI.

In war the general alone can judge of certain arrangements. It depends on him alone to conquer difficulties by his own superior talents and resolution.

Maxim
LXVII.

To authorize generals or other officers to lay down their arms in virtue of a particular capitulation, under any other circumstances than when they are composing the garrison of a fortress, affords dangerous latitude. It is destructive of all military character in a nation to open such a door to the cowardly, the weak, or even to the misdirected brave. Great extremities require extraordinary resolution. The more obstinate the resistance of an army, the greater the chances of assistance or of success.

How many seeming impossibilities have been accomplished by men whose only resolve was death!

Maxim
LXVIII.

There is no security for any sovereign, for any nation, or for any general, if officers are permitted to capitulate in the open field, and to lay down their arms in virtue of conditions favorable to the contracting party, but contrary to the interests of the army at large. To withdraw from danger, and thereby to involve their comrades in greater peril, is the height of cowardice. Such, conduct should be proscribed, declared infamous, and made punishable with death. All generals, officers, and soldiers who capitulate in battle to save their own lives should be decimated.

He who gives the order and those who obey are alike traitors, and deserve
capital punishment.

Maxim
LXIX.

There is but one honorable mode of becoming prisoner of war. That is, by being taken separately; by which is meant, by being cut off entirely, and when we can no longer make use of our arms. In this case, there can be no conditions, for honor can impose none. We yield to an irresistible necessity.

Maxim
LXX.

The conduct of a general in a conquered country is full of difficulties. If severe, he irritates and increases the number of his enemies. If lenient, he gives birth to expectations which only render the abuses and vexations inseparable from war the more intolerable. A victorious general must know how to employ severity, justness, and mildness by turns, if he would allay sedition or prevent it.

Maxim
LXXI.

Nothing can excuse a general who takes advantage of the knowledge acquired in the service of his country, to deliver up her frontier and her towns to foreigners. This is a crime reprobated by every principle of religion, morality, and honor.

Maxim
LXXII.

A general-in-chief has no right to shelter his mistakes in war under cover of his sovereign, or of a minister, when these are both distant from the scene of operation, and must consequently be either ill informed or wholly ignorant of the actual state of things.

Hence it follows, that every general is culpable who undertakes the execution of a plan which he considers faulty. It is his duty to represent his reasons, to insist upon a change of plan--in short, to give in his resignation rather than allow himself to be made the instrument of his army's ruin. Every general-in-chief who fights a battle in consequence of superior orders, with the certainty of losing it, is equally blamable.

In this last-mentioned case, the general ought to refuse obedience; because a blind obedience is due only to a military command given by a superior present on the spot at the moment of action. Being in possession of the real state of things, the superior has it then in his power to afford the necessary explanations to the person who executes his orders.

But supposing a general-in-chief to receive a positive order from his sovereign, directing him to fight a battle, with the further injunction, to yield to his adversary, and allow himself to be defeated -- ought he to obey it? No. If the general should be able to comprehend the meaning or utility of such an order, he should execute it; otherwise, he should refuse to obey it.

Maxim
LXXIII.

The first qualification in a general-in-chief is a cool head -- that is, a head which receives just impressions, and estimates things and objects at their real value. He must not allow himself to be elated by good news, or depressed by bad.

The impressions he receives either successively or simultaneously in the course of the day should be so classed as to take up only the exact place in his mind which they deserve to occupy; since it is upon a just comparison and consideration of the weight due to different impressions that the power of reasoning and of right judgment depends.

Some men are so physically and morally constituted as to see everything through a highly colored medium. They raise up a picture in the mind on every slight occasion, and give to every trivial occurrence a dramatic interest. But whatever knowledge, or talent, or courage, or other good qualities such men may possess, Nature has not formed them for the command of armies, or the direction of great military operations.

Maxim
LXXIV.

The leading qualifications which should distinguish an officer selected for the head of the staff are, to know the country thoroughly; to be able to conduct a reconnaissance with skill; to superintend the transmission of orders promptly; to lay down the most complicated movements intelligibly, but in a few words, and with simplicity.

Maxim
LXXV.

The commandant of artillery should understand well the general principles of each branch of the service, since he is called upon to supply arms and ammunition to the different corps of which it is composed. His correspondence with the commanding officers of artillery at the advanced posts should put him in possession of all the movements of the army, and the disposition and management of the great park of artillery should depend upon this information.

Maxim
LXXVI.

The qualities which distinguish a good general of advanced posts are: to reconnoiter accurately defiles and fords of every description; to provide guides that may be depended on; to interrogate the cure and postmaster; to establish rapidly a good understanding with the inhabitants; to send out spies; to intercept public and private letters; to translate and analyze their contents; in a word, to be able to answer every question of the general-in-chief when he arrives with the whole army.

Maxim
LXXVII.

General-in-chief must be guided by their own experience, or their genius. Tactics, evolutions, the duties and knowledge of an engineer or artillery officer, may be learned in treatises, but the science of strategy is only to be acquired by experience, and by studying the campaigns of all the great captains.

Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne, and Frederick, as well as Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar have all acted upon the same principles. These have been – to keep their forces united; to leave no weak part unguarded; to seize with rapidity on important points.

Such as the principles which lead to victory, and which, by inspiring terror at the reputation of your arms, will at once maintain fidelity and secure subjection.

Maxim
LXXVIII.

Peruse again and again the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne, Engene, and Frederick. Model yourself upon them. This is the only means of becoming a great captain, and of acquiring the secret of the art of war. Your own genius will be enlightened and improved by this study, and you will learn to reject all maxims foreign to the principles of these great commanders.

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