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There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain.

Miyamoto Musashi#19

StrategyTimeWarBusinessWarfare

About this quote

What does it mean?
The passage emphasizes timing in warfare, commerce, and strategy, urging awareness of background and distance timing to avoid uncertainty.
In plain terms
Understanding various kinds of timing is crucial for successful strategy.
What can you take from it?
['temporal awareness', 'uncertainty']

Where it applies

  • business planning
  • military tactics

Putting it to work

  • mapping background timing
  • identifying critical moments

Questions to consider

  • How can you distinguish background timing from foreground timing?
  • What tools help assess timing in strategy?

Another view

The concept is abstract and may be hard to apply concretely.

More from Miyamoto Musashi

  1. There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.

    Permalink to quote #18
  2. You win in battles with the timing in the Void born of the timing of cunning by knowing the enemies' timing, and this using a timing which the enemy does not e…

    Permalink to quote #20
  3. Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Sp…

    Permalink to quote #17

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