Friday, December 19, 2008

LAW #35: MASTER THE ART OF TIMING

This law can be summarized and can easily be understood by analogy to the game of Chess:


Long time. Patiently, you wait before making your move. You carefully set up your pieces, moving them on the free squares, not eating the pieces of your opponent, yet.


Forced time. This is the part when you move/attack which rattles your opponent because you put him in a trap. You have created an unforeseen situation for him, and he is forced to act quickly, making moves that were unplanned, to save the more valuable pieces. This way, you upset his timing.


End time. Finally, when things are going as they should be, you should quickly strike like a snake and hit the button: checkmate. Game Over.


Chess is really about the art of timing. You devise your plans, patiently setting up the pieces on their positions. And when the time comes, you surprise your enemy with your attacks.


Time can be on or against your side. If you do not act quickly, or if you act too impulsively, it may spell out doom. It’s so easy to say, but to master the art of timing can be as powerful as to controlling the future. Napoleon’s defeat at the battle of Waterloo can be said to be a result of bad timing on his part. The night before the battle, it rained. The heavy guns sank and they could not properly charge the enemy on the wet field. Also, it was bad timing for the French when Blucher arrived on time to backup the English.


Time is really just a concept, a perspective. It is the only resource which each man equally has. It’s our way of putting order into a chaotic universe. What makes it seem faster or longer than it should be is when emotions play up. The trick here is to be in control of your emotions, and thus in control your time. This being said, I think it’s the most practical and most important rule of power.



Jaclyn Lourdes Yap

Hi18 K

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that it would be near to impossible to master the art of timing. No matter how much we prepare for something, unexpected things might happen or things might not go according to plan (timing) because we really don't have control over everything.

The best thing to do, as you have said, is to control one's emotions and other aspects which one can really have control over as well.

With that said, timing isn't everything.

Tom Manahan
Hi18 - K

Anonymous said...

it wasn't napoleons fault he couldn't predict the rain. but it was his enemies win to use that advantage to defeat him.

you should always set the tempo for battle. and don't miss a beat.

miguel ignacio,L

Anonymous said...

even though you prepare to do things at a certain time, things will not always go our way because of the unpredictability of our surroundings. the world we live in is inhabited by other people, people who do things differently. in effect, our plans of timing can be disturbed.

i guess what one can do with this law is to first and foremost take control of his or her own time, make preparations, and see see how things work out and fall into place.

-Philip Albert T. Verde
Hi18 K

Anonymous said...

Maybe this law should be coupled with calmness under pressure. I think one of the ways this law works is that it, like in the example, catches people off guard. Now, if you knew how to deal with that pressure and didn't panic, you'd still have a somewhat good handle on things.

Also, you may have the art of timing, but as the others said, there may be unforeseen circumstances that others will use to their advantage, thus I reiterate the whole calmness under pressure thing.

So, do you think timing is luck-based? I mean, if there just happened to be rain at the right time or whatever, it could spell victory/power for a certain party.

You can prepare as best as you can, but in the end, you can't really control everything, no matter how good your timing is. That said, maybe this law coupled with other laws would be more effective.

theresa rosario tan
hi18k

Anonymous said...

To master the art of timing, i think it's not to be in control of one's emotions. I think it is rather being vigilant of what's happening around you. Be keen in every way. Know your opponents moves. Try to find the rationale behind it. Timing is using one's gray matter.

Rhea Entuna
Hi- K

Anonymous said...

section L!

Rhea Entuna

Anonymous said...

I agree that we should master the art of timing however we should not forget that not everything will go according to plan, that there are uncertainties in the future that might make us lose our timing, just like what happened to Napoleon. We should always have a back up plan to always make that event to our advantage.

Clarice Manuel
Hi 18 K

Anonymous said...

In doing everything and anything, good timing is always important (although I only partially agree to the statement that timing is the "most practical and most important rule of power"). One should know when to act and when to hold back. As stated in the example, I agree that one of the important and critical strategies in playing chess is timing. Although timing is such a difficult strategy to master, I think if one wouldnt act thoughtlessly and abruptly, time will be on his side, most of the time. I believe that although one might think that he has acted in a perfect timing, situations might turn over due to unexpected happenings, and therefore, one should keep his guard on till the situation completely ends.


Yu Chin Hong
Hi18-K

Anonymous said...

Rhea makes a good point. Timing shouldn't be based on one's emotions. Rather, one should be wary of what's going on around him/her.

What happens in one's surroundings ultimately affects that person so he/she should be the one to adjust to all external forces. Once all is perfect, he/she could act on his/her plan.

Monica Copuyoc
Hi18-L

Anonymous said...

i agree w rhea and monica. it's a very cerebral law. it's mastering the art of surprise and the art of sneaking in. and the most impt part of the execution, in these two scenarios, is WHEN to execute them.

ocampo hi18-k

Anonymous said...

i agree with the vigilance. :) i think what's also important here is the consistency of your effort. time is about every moment, every split second. if you blink for a second, it could be dangerous

jaclyn yap
hi 18 K

Anonymous said...

@ theresa:

yeah, i think it's also luck based. but luck is really superstitious. we make our luck. as for the unforeseen circumstances, that's where we get the power. if you can see almost all the possible circumstances, you have the greater probability of winning.

@yu chin:

yes, i agree that we should act abruptly. and the thoughlessly you were saying, if you meant instinct, i agree. but when you ponder on things, you will see the bigger picture - different perspectives and all - that you may have not foreseen using only your instinct.

jaclyn yap
hi 18 k

Anonymous said...

It wasn't really Napoloeon's fault it rained. I don't think they had weather forecast then. haha He should have a back-up plan in case whatever they planned didn't work out due to unforeseen circumstances.

Timing is indeed important but We should always be ready.

Expect the unexpected.

Clarice Manuel
Hi18 K

Anonymous said...

i agree ice that they should have a contingency plan for the weather too. and i think that was his duty. :)

jaclyn yap
hi18-k

Miguel Galvez said...

Time is one of the most valuable resources known to man because our entire lives inevitably revolves around it. Once time has passed, it is something that can never be gotten back ever again, so we should make the most out of it as early as now.

- Juan Carlos Miguel M. Galvez
Hi18 - L

krizia said...

I always believe that timing is essential especially when you have a plan in mind you want to accomplish. This element can make a big difference when it comes to decisions and actions made. Proper timing avoids mistakes and unnecessary complications.

Krizia Javate
Hi18K

Say said...

'To look before you leap'

to actually consider the situation and its circumstances and use them for yourself or against the enemy.

What's so interesting about this is things can become so circumstantially reliant rather than being a 'master' of timing...

Example: was Napoleon's loss at the Waterloo really timing or just circumstance/bad luck?

Anonymous said...

with good timing comes great success...

AnneAndreaLacson
Hi-K

Unknown said...

If timing was all you needed to achieve power, then comedians would probably rule the world.

Joey Palma
Hi18-K

Sean said...

Timing is really very important. During World War 2, the allies mastered the art of timing to defeat the Germans. They told their Russian counter parts to launch a major offensive a few days before their invasion of France. The result was that Germans sent reinforcements to the Eastern Front leaving the Western front open. Aside from this, the General of the Atlantic Wall, Field Marshall Rommel, was in Germany with his family. The result was that D-Day turned out to be a great success.

Sean Co
Hi 18 K

Anonymous said...

I think timing is like the art of playing your chances. Sometimes you might fail or succeed, but regardless one who mastered this law achieves greater victories than defeats. I guess this law can only be applied by the well experienced, the knowledgeable, and most importantly the wise.

Alan Ortiz
HI18 K

Anonymous said...

@Miguel:

miguel thanks for the comment! i agree that we should always make the most out of the moment. but what does "make the most out of the moment" mean? i've been typing my answer and hitting the backspace key. i simply couldn't think of the right answer.

jaclyn yap
hi18 K

Anonymous said...

@Say:

Say, i agree. this law is really circumstantial. i think what you can really control is the CONSEQUENCE of the things that has yet to come.

jaclyn yap
hi18 K
law #35: Master the art of timing

Unknown said...

@Alan:

thanks for the comment!

i don't think that this law is only for the well experienced. knowledgeable - maybe in a way that that he has experienced the same situation before, and knows what to do better. but we can really masters of timing ourselves. experienced, yes probably. well experienced, not necessarily. :)

jaclyn yap
hi18 K
law #35:master the art of timing

Anonymous said...

People say that death is the greatest equalizer. Death is brought about by time, which means that time REALLY is of the essence. I agree with Tom Manahan when he says that no matter how much we prepare, things do not always go according to plan. This law can even be applied in our day-to-day lives. Even if you have the right words, if you say them at the right time, they could cause you even more damage than not saying anything at all. (ex. giving the answer before the buzz during game shows or saying 'i love you' too early or too late) If one is able to master the art of timing, then i believe that person would be of incredible power.


Elise Noelle Anne Lim
Hi18 Section L

Anonymous said...

Timing is very much important in our daily lives. However, we can not guarantee if the perfect timing will be enough to be successful. There are always unexpected events and these are not predictable. What we must do is to minimize this and turn the unexpected into expected so that we can avoid it.
And I agree with that the involvement of emotion makes the feeling of time different. Whenever the situation that needs radical solutions, we should not be emotional so that the time management will be easier.

Hae In Lee
Hi18 K

Anonymous said...

I think that in order to accomplish timing, one must first have the capability to ignore externalities that might hinder the focus on executing every moves in the course of timing. Not only does it protects the scheme of timing, it also limits any possible changes that might be encountered throughout the process.

Lambino, Mikail H.
Histo 18 - L

Unknown said...

@Mikhail:

thanks Mikhail!

i agree that you should be logical and focused to become a Master of the Art.

jaclyn yap
hi18 K
law #35: Master the Art of Timing

Anonymous said...

Timing is everything. We shouldn't be impulsive or take too long to decide whether or not to attack. We should keep our emotions intact and to not let things such as defeat to get in the way of coming up with effective and rational plans of attack. We are often driven by our emotions and end up regretting the actions we make due to heavy emotions such as anger and frustration.

I think this law basically calls us to be critical and aware of our surroundings and the people around us. We can't truly master the art of timing; thus, we have to maximize the information that is given to us and use it as our advantage to know when to attack.

Teri Marcelo
Hi 18-K

Anonymous said...

I agree that time can be either for you or against you. But I agree with Tom, time isn’t everything. You can’t master time. Different situations happen, things don’t go by the plan and events transpire out of nothing. There is so much more than time which you can plan. Master the art of timing will get you somewhere but it is only a supplementary law to any other strategy in this blog. I don’t think it is a law that can stand on its own. I see it this way… It’s waiting and not acting.

Mara Liboro
Hi18-K

Anonymous said...

Though one may master the art of timing, no one can still see the future. One can only predict what MAY happen, but not to the extent that every detail is correct. It’s really true that time may work in favor of or against you – like in chess, you may think you’re winning since you’re done with positioning of your pieces, but you can’t tell if your opponent has some strategy of his own already set up before yours which can counterattack whatever you might do.
I don’t think control of emotions is the only factor to be considered for this law, though. You also have to read your opponents, predict any events that may arise, like a sudden rain in Waterloo –these needless to say, are hard, so I believe this law is not all that practical.

Chris Macalinao
hi18 - L

Anonymous said...

Is it just me or is chess being used for a lot of parallelisms in this blog? Haha, but you're right. When everything is against you, timing is crucial--every remaining second can be used to prolong your life or end someone else's. Finding a way to control your timing--and someone else's--is important in gaining power.

Peep Warren
Hi18-L

Anonymous said...

“The art of timing”, the title can speak for itself. Execution of moves at the right time is all that is necessary in applying this law. Be prudent and execute wisely… then all should be good! But is there really truly a right time to attack? How do we know when?

Paolo Banaga
Hi 18-L

Anonymous said...

Time is a very important concept and timing is everything. In stage, in drama, in comedy, in love and in life. It pretty much sums up the idea of how important it is to know when to do it. Because sometimes, how a thing is done does not accomplish a task fully. It is important to take note that no one succeeds when the timing is not taken into consideration. And the problem is that no one can turn back the time, or at least not yet. It is vital to know when and how to do a task. This in order for it to be effective and established.

Czarina Kathryne Masagca
Hi18-L

Anonymous said...

This law is very much related to mine, which is "Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor". In relation to my law, I think that learning when to disappear is very crucial for one to gain power. When one doesn't know when to time his or her disappearance, the effect would rather be disappointing.

But I do agree with Tom when he said that timing isn't everything. No one really has control over most situations. We couldn't really blame ourselves if our plan doesn't work.

PC Magnaye
Hi18-K