Right Man, Wrong Place

It can be advantageous to keep your adversary guessing. However, if you delay too long, or make it too regular a practice, you will belie an indecisiveness which will be used against you.

If your strategy may not work, don't be afraid to change it. However, never make changes which might begin to alienate allies, or at least, not many of them. It will soon become a poison pill you must swallow which may upend your initial goal entirely. Perceived flexibility is not always apt.

The grander your strategy, the more opportunities this greater amount of adversaries will have to offset your strategy. Grander strategies require greater teams of consensus. Adversaries will always try to gain at the cost of your teams. If you succumb to any distraction, your advancement suffers.

Be wary of wins. Hubris can and will create holes in your strategy which your adversary will be all too happy to exploit.

Look for weaknesses in your adversary's strategy by an equal amount to the degree to which they are loud/distracting.

After your adversary either finishes a gambit or backs away from one, they may attempt to overestimate their success with said gambit.

Strategies that are strong and effective do not have to move very loudly, unless in very specific circumstances. If your adversary is moving very loudly, it may be because they're trying to cover for mishaps in their strategy.

It can be advantageous to set up situations where your adversary becomes comfortable. While this should generally only be considered for longer term strategies, comfort can induce shortcuts or mistakes by your adversary.

Pay attention to how your adversary deals with revealing information.Your adversary will go through greater lengths to hide truths than it will to ignore falsehoods.

If an element you considered an ally against your adversary becomes unfair or otherwise betrays your trust, consider whether they can still play a part in your strategy with this new information. Adaptation doesn't always need to include abandonment.

It's important to pay attention what you're adversary is paying attention to, and what they aren't. Focus is a limited resource for everyone. If your adversary is focusing on something they think is important, there is a likelihood that they are not focusing on something that is also important.

If an adversary is large and begins to act erratically, it may be that they are trying to trick you, or consider that there may be warring factions within

When considering Grand Strategy, it's important to understand: if you pull away from a space or interest, it immediately gives your adversary the opportunity to push into that space or interest. When such a thing is lost grand strategically, it will be extremely difficult and taxing to get it back.

Always ask yourself if you're making convenient assumptions of your adversary's moves. Being too pollyanna with your strategy can, and often will, be disastrous.

Be sure to watch the speed with which your adversary does things. They act at that speed because their strategy dictates they must act at that speed. Your strategy doesn't have to move at the same speed as your adversary's. Your rhythm can break their's.

Force your adversary to question their fundamental hypothesis of the combat. If your adversary believes the combat is only between you and them, introduce a third element. Show your adversary what they expected to happen, and then show them what they didn't.

The fact that there were relatively much less people in Davos this year during World Economic Forum week is the most recent sign of how fast we're heading to a multipolar world. If we're not there already.

YouTube video by Voice of America Uncut Future (S4, E14) | 52 Documentary

Last year I had the supreme honor of helping a true Paragon of Courage, Jaha Dukureh, in stopping the legalization of Female Genital Mutilation. I saw her face down multiple threats on her life. The documentary is here: youtu.be/6E5THx_NYto?...

Wondering why your adversary is doing something is a low-tier question. Complaining about why they do something is even more useless.
Instead, learn from them. Often adversaries give lessons freely, but sadly many don't see them, or care to learn, and are more than likely repeat the same mistakes.

Regarding Deepseek: if you're going to show your cards, make sure it's a fait a compli.

Great people find a way for the future to find meaning in their lives after they've passed.

When working to accomplish a large goal, it's important to remember that one often needs equal parts of luck and boldness. It could be pointed out that boldness may be a choice, but luck is not. However, the more chances you give yourself, the greater the chance you will be lucky.

Trust is always earned, never bought.

Regardless of any opinion, grand-scale national investments in technologies that are of great importance to national security are important.

People tend to underestimate just how important a 'shared mission' is when trying to affect significant change on large groups.

A good strategist works across 3 dimensions at all times. A great strategist works across those, as well as time.

'If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it' - Dwight D Eisenhower.

Make it so large no one can ignore it. Where even your adversaries must work within it.

Shakespeare told us that there are three kinds of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

I believe everyone is born great, some use this to achieve their greatness, but first greatness is always thrust upon them.

What's more concerning than the rampage of the wildfires in Los Angeles in January? The fact that January seems to be fire season...

It is important to remember just how important something like the peaceful transfer of power is. Institutions like these are usually overlooked and/or unfairly assailed without appreciation for how much society relies on them to keep things safer and more enjoyable.