借刀殺人／借刀杀人, Jiè dāo shā rén

This one I always remember and you always see it in politics. You also always see it on the playground. I noticed girls tend to employ this strategy more than boys.

I think tat most of the strategies are probably considered to be immoral in terms of cultural norms. Even in China in day to day life really. It's just that since the book exists politicians and the like respect the strategies...but if you don;t have the above cool saying to show respect you will just use the other colloquialism which is that you get others to do your dirty work.

Kill with a borrowed sword sounds cooler and legitimizes the action while the more American saying makes it sound disgusting.... even though this strategy is pretty well employed in American Foreign policy.

Personal experience....

hmmmm you know what I realize. Not only do I not usually start fights with people... I also just don't try to attack people in these other ways. Whether it is suing or trolling or yelling.... it's not only that I am averse to violence, I am averse to the negativity... and yet I am actually not as averse to confrontation. I mean I sort of am.... but when I just can't take it I go all out.


So to use this strategy I would really have to be in a war, in that mind set.  Are other people always in that mind set? I guess they are. I guess most people are actually incredibly violent in their intentions. It's just that they don't fight physically.

I practice Kung Fu... but actually in my surroundings growing up I was also one of the least likely to get into a fight.

But I can't say that I am some sort of hippie peace lover either. I mean I think I strive to be that way. But everyone knows I can have a temper and lose my patience.


This strategy (and probably most of the 36), requires you not to lose your temper and also be very violently minded.

Going through them one a day I just realize that though I readily recognize all these behaviors in others immediately, I am averse to all of them. And at the same time I notice that a lot of people would not recognize these behaviors in others..... but are very quick to do them themselves.