Cohort 1, Session 1 · Guiguzi’s core strategies

Guiguzi's strategies are the practical application of game theory, centered around interests

Key insights

Guiguzi's strategies areGame theoryThe practice revolves around interests. The methods are neither righteous nor evil; the key lies in how those who wield them use them. The essentials are: probing, internalizing, responding, opening and closing, opposing and joining, resisting and exploiting weaknesses, and feinting and trapping.

3.1 Overview of Guiguzi's Strategic System

Strategic Application Process

步骤1：揣摩（观察）→ 了解对方性格和意图
    ↓
步骤2：内建（试探）→ 投石问路，获取信息
    ↓
步骤3：反应（验证）→ 验证自己的判断
    ↓
步骤4：捭阖（开合）→ 控制交流节奏
    ↓
步骤5：忤合（顺逆）→ 测试对方底线
    ↓
步骤6：抵巇（钻营）→ 寻找突破口
    ↓
步骤7：飞钳（控制）→ 达成目标

3.2 Core Techniques Explained

【Reading Others】— The Art of Observation

Definition: Discern what the other person truly thinks by observing their words and expressions

Key Original Passage：

"When probing someone's feelings, you must approach them when they are at their happiest and fulfill their desires to the utmost; when they have desires, they cannot conceal their true feelings."

Key Steps：

1. Keep Quiet and Listen: Let the other person speak first while you observe
2. Observe Their Words and Expressions: Pay attention to the other person's facial expressions, tone, and body language
3. Analyze the Logic: Organize the other person's line of reasoning and identify their true intentions

Use Cases：

Practical tips：

"Learn to keep quiet, and only then will your mind begin to observe and think rationally."

【Built-In】— The Art of Probing

Definition: Test the waters by introducing topics and drawing out information

Core logic：

抛话头 → 观察反应 → 分析性格 → 决定策略
   ↓         ↓          ↓          ↓
赞美/批评  情绪变化   性格类型   应对方式

Probing through compliments：

Probe by showing concern：

Core insight：

"Specific expressions of care are what move people. Saying when they were heavier shows that you really care about them."

【Opening and Closing】— The Art of Opening and Closing

Definition：Bai means opening (yang, speaking), while he means closing (yin, silence); alternating between opening and closing controls the rhythm

Key Original Passage：

“To open is to disclose, to speak, and to be yang; to close is to conceal, to remain silent, and to be yin.”

Interaction model：

Application principles：

1. Listen more, speak less: Keep yourself closed and let the other person open up
2. Control the pace: Be purposeful about when to open and when to close
3. Yin-Yang Transformation: Opening contains closing, and closing contains opening

Practical Example：

"Two gears, one opening and one closing, with energy flowing between them. When both people are open, they argue; when both are closed, there is silence."

【Opposition and Alignment】— The art of going with or against

Definition: When to oppose (resist) and when to agree (converge), testing the other person's mindset

Core logic：

公开场合：合（赞成）→ 维护权威
私下场合：忤（反对）→ 测试底线

Use Cases：

Key Principle：

"Do not oppose someone in front of others; publicly acting as a thorn in their side is a challenge to authority. In private, you may oppose them to test the ruler's mindset."

Risk Warning：

• Opposing someone in public = courting death
• Opposing someone improperly in private = being resented
• Always complying = having no presence
• Always opposing = becoming a thorn in everyone's side

【Exploiting Fissures】— The Art of Maneuvering for Advantage

Definition: Drill into gaps, find loopholes, sow discord, and seek a breakthrough

Key Original Passage：

"A crevice is a crack. A crack is a ravine. A ravine becomes a great fissure. It can be resisted and blocked, resisted and repelled, resisted and stopped, resisted and concealed, resisted and exploited."

Five Applications：

Operational Model：

• Party A
  • / · \
  • / Contradiction · \
  • / · \
  • Party B · Opening · Party C (you)

Marriage Case Analysis：

Problem Scenario：

• Party A: Husband
• Party B: Wife
• Party C: Mistress (using the opening to insert herself)

How to Break the Deadlock：

1. Don’t attack the mistress：Party A and Party B fighting will only worsen their relationship
2. Find a fourth party (Party D) ：Find someone the husband trusts (an older brother, parents, or leader)
3. External Checks and Balances：Make Party A realize the cost of losing Party B
4. Party A Returns：Party A turns its fire on the other side, causing Party C to fail

Historical Case (Zhang Liang Offers Advice) ：

• Party A: Liu Bang (wanted to replace the Crown Prince)
• Party B: Lü Zhi (the Crown Prince’s mother)
• Party C: Qi Furen (wanted her own son to succeed to the throne)
• Party D: The Four Elders of Mount Shang (four eminent Confucian scholars invited at Zhang Liang's suggestion)
• Result: Seeing the scholars' support, Liu Bang abandoned his plan to replace the crown prince, and Lady Qi failed

Core insight：

"An outside monk is better received when chanting scriptures. Only by finding reliable outside allies can you achieve balance in internal power struggles."

【Flying Pincers】– The Art of Control

Definition: Keep the other person firmly under control through words, incentives, and other means

Core logic：

• Let your words soar → Clamp down on their mind → Gain control
  • Arouse desire ← · Promise benefits

Use Cases：

1. Control through incentives: "Work for me, and you'll get a share of the profits at year-end"
2. Control through fear: "If you don't work for me, you're finished"
3. Control through emotional ties: "We're brothers. You wouldn't betray me, would you?"
4. Control through information: "Only I know this secret"

3.3 The wisdom of showing weakness (the function of the weak in the Dao)

Key insights

Feigning weakness is a sophisticated form of strategic camouflage. Purposeful weakness is purposeful strength.

The Four-Step Method for Showing Weakness

• Step 1: Listen (keep quiet)
  • Minimize energy expenditure
  • Maximize information gathered
  • Optimize observation
• Step 2: Praise (undermine through flattery)
  • Build rapport
  • Tap into their eagerness to teach others
  • Draw out information
• Step 3: Follow (remain silent)
  • Defuse hostility
  • Watch for weaknesses
  • Wait for the right moment
• Step 4: Ask questions (guide)
  • Control the direction
  • Test your judgment
  • Achieve your objective

Genuine Weakness vs. Feigned Weakness

Applications in Marriage

Common Mistakes：

• Discover your husband is cheating → Confront him with a kitchen knife → He becomes afraid to come home → The relationship breaks down completely

The Right Approach：

• Discover your husband is cheating → Adopt a sweet, innocent facade → Foster attachment → Regain lost ground

Core principle：

"Life is a play—it all comes down to acting. When you recognize your own weakness, you are already strong."

Key quotes

• "Tactics are neither good nor evil—it depends on whose hands they're in."
• "The art of war is neither good nor bad; it is only a matter of sides and positions."
• "What you can see is a difficulty; what you cannot see is a risk."
• "Weakness by design is strength by design."
• "When you recognize your own weakness, you are already strong."
• "A monk from afar is thought to chant better."

Practical application

Everyday Applications

Learning Path

1. First, Learn to Stay Quiet: Practice listening and observing
2. Then, Learn to Speak: Practice giving praise and probing
3. Master the rhythm: Practice the art of opening and closing
4. Use flexibly: Choose the appropriate technique for each scenario
5. Develop intuition: Reach the state of “acting without acting”

*“Strategy is a tool; what matters is that the person using it follows the right path.”*