Essentially, this law intensifies the "put all your eggs in one basket" adage, exponentially. Rather than branching out, concentrating your forces entails deliberately holding back. Not in the timid, lack-of-carpe-diem sense, but rather identifying and building up your strengths. It may be a law, though it hardly seems like an imposition.
An important feature the law boasts is quite a big word – freedom. The Rothschild banking empire was borne from this insightful realization. Being Jews of the more unforgiving previous centuries, early inklings of the law stemmed from their affinity toward the others. This could be thought of as a less violent historical predecessor to The Godfather. They hardly worked outside of the family. It wasn't strange for the Rothschilds to marry of each other's relatives. It's not like anybody had the right to stop them. Having your brother's kid for a wife isn't so bad, right? It's not love; it's business.
And true enough their persevering, 'self-centered' ideal in their affairs set them free and bore plenty of fruits. A great example, among other things, is having 'first dibs' on any information being generated in the region thanks to their closely-knit courier system. Having ears related to you everywhere seems like a good idea.
However, does choosing to be the one-trick pony always work? When times call for a bevy follow-ups, is it worth the risk to stay repetitive, remain single-minded? This is worth considering especially in a world where emulating Superman is tantamount to security.
At the end of a lousy day, it's possible that your eggs end up chipped, cracked, and – worst of all – completely broken into. Cleaning up after the mess isn't the funnest thing in the world, but at least you can prepare a really huge omelet.
--
Joey M. Palma
HI 18 - K
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25 comments:
i think that you should only put all your eggs in one basket when you are sure you can afford the repercussions of your singular yet momentously huge failure.
on the other hand, being single minded will force you to be focused and not so vulnerable to distractions.
monica ang, L
I think 'forces' here can be interpreted in two ways; first, in the literal sense, as in soldiers and military might, and second, in the sense of those involved.
Concentrating military might is nearly always a good idea; spreading an army too thin would make even the best trained soldiers useless. However, I think this only works when one is taking the offensive. Concentrating military might on one point will ensure its fall (this is assuming that you've great military might in the first place). When on the defensive, concentrating one's forces would leave so many other points open. When fighting a stronger army, a concentration of forces is not the way to go. If sheer force isn't on your side, then guerrilla tactics and espionage should be used instead. Like what Monica said, if you're going to concentrate your forces, you should be sure you can afford to do so. In the movie 300, Leonidas concentrated his soldiers at the Hot Gates, and rendered the sheer numbers of the Persians useless. This worked until the Persians found an alternative path that lead to a position where the Spartans could be flanked.
In terms of involvement, sometimes keeping everything within a tight circle is a good idea; though there are less people involved, you (hopefully) trust them more. The Rothschild family was able to rise to power by keeping everything within their family. However, holding on to a few sources of support can also be a bad thing; for example, should your primary source of power or support fall, you will undoubtedly fall as well. In the book 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, Cesare Borgia fell when his primary source of power, his father Pope Alexander VI, died. After he died, Cesare was left completely powerless against his enemies as he had no one else. By spreading out, you create 'fall backs', 'Plan Bs' and other safety nets that will catch you if in case that should happen.
Ria Rigoroso
Hi 18 - K
don't you think it's risky if you concentrate your forces? i mean, if everything turns out to be a failure, then what do you have left?
that is why i think it is best to have many options, to be good in a lot of things. it is important to be balanced and all-around. if things do not go the way you want them to be, at least you have a plan b.
-Philip Albert T. Verde
Hi18 K
i agree w your question (even if you didn't even answer it haha). of course it gets difficult to keep repeating things because then everyone will expect you to do it and your act'll just get old.
it's good to concentrate your forces, yes. but i think back up plans are just as important. reinvent yourself!
ocampo 18-k
@Monica: I agree. You should definitely put all your eggs in one basket when you're absolutely sure that the repercussions will be manageable.
I also think that this law applies when one has nothing else to lose. In war, for example, when an army is about to be defeated, there's certainly no other option but to go all out on the enemy. There's certainly no risk.
Chio Cebrero
Hi 18 L
Nahh, I wouldn’t put my eggs in just one basket. Being the pessimistic person that I am, I would be too much of a worry wart to invest everything in one cause. I’m the type to have a plan B, plan C, plan D and even a plan E. That would make “my eggs” really scattered all over the place, right? :)“Preparing an omelet” when all the eggs have cracked wouldn’t even have entered my mind if you had not mentioned it.
Mara Liboro
Hi18-K
I agree with Philip that you shouldn't concentrate on one option, but you should always have a back-up plan. Keeping in mind that the plans should not be so numerous that all of it would turn out to be a failure. As I have said with other blogs, things won't always go our way. We should be ready for the unexpected and expected to happen.
Clarice Manuel
Hi18 K
jack of all traits versus being a master of one.
i think it's possible to have mastery of a skill and become fairly adept in other aspects when you consider that a man is capable of more than one trade, capable of adjusting and becoming successful in more than one field of interest -- as long as he's able to manage his time wisely.
i think it's a question of priority and passion (which is harder to quantify) -- what do you want to do and how much do you want to do it? something closer to home is double majoring: it's possible but do you want to go for it? do you want to work for both degrees? i think the reason people are so single-minded is the misconception of prioritizing. when you set aside a lot of your time for one thing in particular - or for one goal. i think the only reason we (as humanity, as mankind) are so limited, as individuals, to one task, one output, one product, one vocation -- is because of our capitalist mentality -- when we're really more capable, given different this different perspective.
kyra ballesteros
hi18 K
@Joey
Doesn't the old adage go "don't put all your eggs in one basket"? :P
Most people here have said it already, concentrating forces means no fall-backs, no second chances. I agree with Chio and monica about the "if your sure" conditional.
I don't think the author would promote such reckless behavior though... I think were all reading this incorectly. I don't think he meant "concentrate your forces IN ONE POINT" wouldn't you agree? It would make more sense if the law promotes STRATEGIC concentration rather than a glass cannon strategy.
Diego Ibanez
Hi18-K
I think we can make an analogy from the guillotine. Before the the tapered edge, it was a straight edge which. It was a sound plan at first, until they tried it out on a real person. With a straight edge, cutting the head was a real problem. Positioning the blade too high would do the job but bust the guillotine in the process. Positioning it too low would leave the head...yeah. Then they decided to taper it, focusing the force at one point through the cut. Then heads were rolling...
I think this law focuses on precision - pressure applied at the right time and at the right place could move something better than pushing it from all sides.
Denis Flores
Hi 18K
Yes, you do have to concentrate to strengthen your forces -- but at the end of the day, you must be able to branch out to develop. And after doing so, you could build again, focus and continue developing. Think of it as a spiral. Do not just limit yourself into climbing just one portion. If you dwell too much on holding back, your procedures would also be held back.
As for the self-centered aspect of it, yes I agree that it would work but only to some extent. One must make sure that such self-centered move does now hinder the possibility of creating allies. Isolation is immensely dangerous.
Gliza Marasigan
Hi18-L
In essence, what everyone is saying is right. Get all your forces together and, if you lose, you will lose very very badly. But what if you win? Remember 300? Leonidas' forces were the 300, no more no less (according to the movie). And instead of scattering them, they grouped together in the Hot Gates. That's like two birds with one stone; an impassable terrain and a powerful army combined into one finely tuned machine. Thousands of Persians could not stand against the 300. Even if they all died, the battle alluded to in the movie is a victory for the Greeks, the Spartans.
It's kinda like Voltes V. I doubt the Voltes Arm or the Voltes Foot alone would do any good. They need to Volt In. I think the key to this law is not so much the concentration of your forces. Instead, it is how to deal with your concentrated forces, how to properly utilize them; what the right tactics are to assure victory. Then, victory will taste sweeter.
Sam Bautista
Hi18-K
when you say first dibs, it's like what ma'am said about George Smith, the person who found the cuneiform tablets and said something like "i was the first to read history, boo you" or something like that or reading the very first harry potter book enables you to be powerful.
it's just that... would you concentrate too much on your studies that you would leave your friends behind? or your friends all the time without studying? i think it should be a balance. hahahaha. i don't know what i'm saying na.
Raf Sobrepena Hi - K
@ Raf
I don't think when joey said "first dibs" you get power, he meant that the fact you got it first means you get prestige (from being the first) you got power. I think he meant it in the context of information. Information gets old pretty fast. While being early to get it guarantees you get to utilize it well, being the first just emphasizes the amount of power you have by knowing first.
Diego Juan Elpidio Canlas Ibanez
Hi18-K
"choosing the one-trick pony" as it has been repeated in all of the comments meant being unstable.
but, could it also mean not literally concentrating the number of your forces in one place but, the mastery of your forces?
like what ria said about the movie 300, the spartans were concentrated on the hot gates which led to them surviving longer against the persians. but, it could have also been because they were concentrated as warriors not just some farmer forced to battle in the time of need.
like a wizard from ragnarok on-line, you can't master all of the skills for it would lead to weak damage output.
MANY SKILLS but WEAK DAMAGE
what you could do is find a combination of skills that could complement each other in a combo.
FEW SKILLS but STRONG DAMAGE
this tactic could also be used in war. rather than having all soldiers carry the same weapons why not vary them so that they master that weapon. You'd have separate archers, spear men and what not. each then should have a part to play in the battle to counter the enemies' forces. it would be much more organized and easier to handle, I guess.
JR Resma
Hi18 K
similar to the law of "plan all the way to the end", the only problem is how one mistake can cause a whole turnover-- making you the loser in the end.
as most of the other commenters stated, it is better to distribute the "power". to train a main force, and use them to train the next.
a continuous passing of knowledge and power.
miguel ignacio, L
Hmmm... the only way you can attain and maintain power is finding the balance in all the things you mentioned... You have to have that specialty trick, that one trick wherein you supposedly give it your all... at the same time know when to be repetitive and so on and so forth... It's sometimes about the anticipation, you always have to have a back up plan... After all, like you said, you may have cracked eggs by the end of the day, but you can still make an omelet out of it.
Gail Lim
Hi 18-K
There is a saying that there is greater strength in numbers. When an army is divided, it is more open to attack. Having the army spread out in different directions can be disastrous to a military campaign since this significantly reduces the size of the fighting force compared to a large army. However, there are times where in it is not a good idea to do this since this could lead to disaster in cases of logistics, having too many people in one place, no reserves and such.
Sean Co
Hi 18 K
concentrating your forces onto one point at any given time is not a really brilliant way to go. this approach is actually conditional - it depends on what you are currently facing. throwing everything at one thing can have its own bad effects. learning when to give everything you got is what one has to learn in observing this law. not everything works the same way, certainly not the people around you and the situations that arise from their actions and yours.
- Bjorn Umali, Hi18-L
Concentrating your forces might work at times because it will let you focus, but I believe that it's very risky. I think that you still must save something for yourself, unless you know what you're getting yourself into.
PC Magnaye, Hi18-K
Maybe this law could apply to a few instances. however, i would have to disagree with what it says for it gives one a lack of flexibility. Putting all your eggs in one basket is such a big risk for there could always be someone better than you in every aspect. once overtaken, what would be left of you? i find it best to invest in various aspects for this would give you more chances to stay in the game, in a world run by the idea of survival of the fittest. as the old saying goes, be a jack of all trades, not necessarily a master of any.
-Angelo Mendoza, His18-L
this law is contrast to the adage "jack of all trades master of none". since the jack didnt concentrate his force on anything, he couldn't maximize what he does best.
jaclyn yap
hi 18 K
law #35:master the art of timing
I agree with PC that this law is quite risky. You can concentrate your forces, but not ALL your forces - this will be just like creating your own destruction. you need to consider any possibility and have available forces for all those backup plans.
Chris Macalinao
Hi18 - L
I agree with Philip and PC. This one's very risky. If you concentrate your forces and you fail, you have nothing left. It'll be hard to recover. But i think this is a matter of courage. When you concentrate your forces, it's all or nothing. If you want to play safe, then i don't suggest you do this. But if you're brave enough, just make sure to build up on your strength really well.
Dana Cammayo
Hi18-L
I agree with Mr. Mendoza. I honestly don't think that being a jack of all trades is necessarily bad. Like I said in one of my other previous comments, placing some eggs out of your basket can actually be a good thing when you're still in the process of exploring yourself and finding out what your true capabilities are.
Chua Rojas, Serica
Hi 18 - L
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