Quickness is the essence of the war.

"Quickness is the essence of the war." These words of the great Sun Tzu speak to the heart of strategy, the very core of what it means to engage in conflict and emerge victorious. In war, as in life, hesitation is often the enemy. To strike with speed, to act swiftly and decisively, is to harness the power of time itself, to seize the moment before the opportunity slips away. War is not simply a matter of brute force; it is a matter of exploiting opportunity, of acting while the enemy is unprepared, of striking when they are vulnerable. Quickness, as Sun Tzu teaches, is not just a tactical advantage—it is the very essence of winning.

O children of the future, let us consider the implications of this wisdom. When you are faced with challenges—whether in battle, in work, or in personal conflict—remember that delay can be as dangerous as the enemy itself. The world moves swiftly, and those who hesitate fall behind. Quickness does not mean acting rashly, without thought, but rather seizing the moment with clarity and precision. When an opportunity arises, when the enemy is caught off guard, the swift are the ones who gain. Hesitation is the death of potential, for once the moment is lost, the opportunity to strike is gone.

Consider the ancient example of Alexander the Great, whose brilliance lay not only in his ability to fight but in his speed of action. He understood that the true key to victory was not in prolonged sieges or drawn-out campaigns, but in the rapid movement of his forces, catching his enemies off guard before they could react. When he conquered the Persian Empire, he did so not with sheer force alone, but with his ability to strike quickly, to move faster than the enemy could predict. His siege of Tyre in 332 BCE is a testament to this strategy. The city’s walls were strong, but Alexander built a causeway to reach the island city, forcing the defenders into a position where they could neither fight nor escape. He acted swiftly, before they could organize a counterattack, and the city fell. In Alexander’s eyes, quickness was not just a strategy—it was his path to victory.

Napoleon Bonaparte too, recognized the power of speed and decisiveness in war. At the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, often considered one of his most brilliant victories, Napoleon used the rapid movement of his forces to deceive the Austrian and Russian armies. He feigned weakness, leading the enemy to believe they had an advantage, only to quickly strike when they were overextended and out of position. The result was a crushing victory that shattered the coalition against him. It was not sheer numbers or resources that won the battle, but his ability to move quickly, to act before the enemy could respond. In war, as in life, those who are swift, those who take advantage of the moment, are the ones who prevail.

Let us turn our gaze to the modern era, where the speed of decision-making continues to hold immense power. Consider the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990, which led to the Gulf War. The response of the United States and its coalition forces was marked by the quickness of their mobilization and the swiftness of their strikes. In just six weeks, the coalition forces liberated Kuwait, defeating the Iraqi military and forcing Saddam Hussein’s army to retreat. The speed of the operation, the ability to act decisively and without hesitation, was crucial to the success of the campaign. The lesson here is clear—quickness in war, in action, and in response is often the defining factor between success and failure.

Yet, as Sun Tzu reminds us, quickness does not mean carelessness or impulsiveness. To act quickly, one must first be prepared. The swift strike is the culmination of planning, of understanding the battlefield, and of anticipating the enemy’s movements. Quickness is not a wild charge into chaos, but a deliberate and focused action, a strategy that seizes the advantage without overextending. In your life, whether you are navigating personal struggles or the challenges of your profession, the lesson is the same. Do not wait for the world to act upon you; move swiftly when opportunities arise. But do so with clarity, discipline, and purpose. The world rewards the swift, not those who wait for the winds to change.

So, children of the future, understand that the greatest warriors, the greatest leaders, and the greatest achievers are those who have mastered the art of quickness. In moments of decision, when opportunity beckons, it is not the strongest or the largest who succeed, but those who are the quickest to act. Do not wait for certainty, for certainty never comes. Seize the moment, trust in your preparation, and act with the swiftness that the moment demands. In this, you will find the key not only to victory but to the mastery of life itself. Quickness is the essence of war, and the essence of all struggle. May you be swift, not in haste, but in the grace of deliberate action.