The Art of Getting Homework Done

I was reading the Art of War today.

It is so simple and yet with every group of people I speak to, they seem to miss it.

The one who would overcome the other does not force their way but uses the weaknesses of the other to succeed. It allows reality. It uses reality. It does not fight it.

My son has been having some difficulty at school.

He finds so much of what he has to do in class to be virtually pointless. He says, “It’s stupid. I don’t need to do it. I won’t do it. I can’t do it.”

I tell him he is fighting what is.

He thinks that by refusing to do it and then being very difficult about it – arguing, crying, ignoring, avoiding - he wins. His teacher gives up. His mother gives up. His father gives up and then he doesn’t have to do it.

He sees the battle as victorious but he loses sight of the war.

Last night I accepted Sun Tzu’s, Lao Tzu’s and Chang Tzu’s words.

I said, “Ok. Don’t do it. I guess you get to do grade three twice. They won’t let you out of grade three if you can’t do these things. I am finished fighting with you. I just want us both to be happy.”

I walked away and he began to work.

Water flows downhill and power is about needs.





Sun Tzu – The Art of War – Chapter VITranslated from the Chinese with Introduction and Critical Notes BY LIONEL GILES, M.A. Assistant in the Department of Oriental Printed Books and MSS. in the British Museum First Published in 1910

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/132/132.txt

29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in itsnatural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and tostrike at what is weak. [Like water, taking the line of least resistance.] 31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of theground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory inrelation to the foe whom he is facing.32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, soin warfare there are no constant conditions.33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to hisopponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) arenot always equally predominant; [That is, as Wang Hsi says: "they predominatealternately."]the four seasons make way for each other in turn. [Literally, "have no invariable seat."]There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waningand waxing.