"In order to beat your enemy, you must first know your enemy?"?

Question

Does this mean siding with the enemy in order to learn his capabilities, or understanding that your enemy is merely a reflection of yourself - but with different circumstances?

Answer 1

The second one...it means getting in touch with what the enemy is all about, what they want, and how they are most vulnerable.  It is about seeing why you are enemies with that person or thing and using that knowledge in your favor.  I seriously do not recommend stalking or backstabbing though!

Answer 2

I think it applies to know their fighting style and to know their moves. So, in other words, I agree with your first interpretation. Side with your enemy, learn his vulnerabilities, learn his fighting style, and expect the unexpected. As said above, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Answer 3

Beat Your Enemy by Knowing Him

Military genius Sun Tzu said:

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

In other words, you'll win every battle if you know your enemy's strengths, weaknesses and tactics in addition to your own. If you don't understand your enemy, you will win half of the time or less.

Answer 4

While "robertminidriver "  is analyzing his enemies , they are getting ready to beat the h**l out of him . (sorry buddy had to say that)

  Remember keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer .   Don't look for trouble but when it comes be ready .

Answer 5

My take is that we don't really need to focus on beating our enemies.

Instead, we should concentrate more on understanding and respecting their positions.

Mutual respect sometime dissolves conflicts before they escalate into any conflagration.