The final interview

Boss was gonna be on leave next monday. I'm gonna be on leave from next Tuesday onwards. I am hoping that I won't need to go back on any other day. Otherwise it would really be like the past week.

That meant that I potentially will not be meeting him before my course starts. Which is scheduled on the 24th.

So chancing me onboard today, he asked me in for an interview. sorta.

we had a protracted chat on sundry topics like if I was ready for the course etc etc.

And then we went into specifics. Like principles, mindsets and the power of hindsight (arguing for the sake of arguing).

In summary:
In warfare, you must always have principles that should never quaver in the face of adversaries. Adversaries can come in multifarious forms. But you must show resolve. Principles are what guide you to form your action/reaction.

Mindsets are more nebulous. They guide you but they are in turn guided by assumptions and criterias. So if assumptions are no longer valid and if any of the criterion is not fulfilled, you must be flexible enough to push the boundaries and find new guidance while retaining sight of your principles.

The power of hindsight will be useless in warfare. Your tactical decisions must be sound at the moment you make them and not any later. You cannot justify them on hindsight because nobody has that ability; to predict how a scenario develops. The enemy at the end of a missile plan do not have that because dead people cannot re-learn or un-learn mistakes.People who 马后炮 have no bragging rights.


Warfare is like Mastermind - maybe not exactly a minute to learn, and for the commander who might have led his troops to certain death, surely a lifetime to master.