The Silent Night – “Night falls quietly, shrouding the world in its enigmatic embrace. Under its veil, all is possible, and the most unexpected events can occur. Emulate the night in your actions, veiling your true intentions until the opportune moment.”
“The Silent Night” principle is about masking one’s intentions and maintaining an air of mystery to achieve strategic advantages. It suggests that by concealing one’s plans under a metaphorical cloak of night, one creates room for unexpected outcomes. In essence, by not revealing your strategies prematurely, you keep your adversaries guessing and uncertain, allowing for greater flexibility and opportunities to seize the moment.
Applying the Principle to Political Power
In the context of political power, “The Silent Night” principle can translate to a strategy of strategic opacity. By not making your intentions and plans explicit, a political leader can create a veil of uncertainty that can keep potential opponents or rivals off balance. It can provide room to maneuver, and the opportunity to seize decisive moments when they occur. Thus, a political leader can utilize ambiguity as a strategic tool, allowing for a broad range of potential actions and keeping adversaries in the dark until the opportune moment.
Historical Example
The Battle of Thymbra, fought in 546 BC during the conquest of Lydia by the Persian Empire, provides an illustration of this principle. Cyrus the Great, the Persian King, faced a significant disadvantage against the Lydian King Croesus’s larger and more equipped forces.
Cyrus, well aware of the Lydians’ superior numbers, did not reveal his battle plans. He used the cover of the “night” by positioning his dromedary camels (which the Lydian horses feared) in the front lines but covered them with warriors’ attire, disguising them as regular infantry. When the battle ensued the following day, the Lydian horses, startled by the unfamiliar smell of the camels, caused disarray in the Lydian lines.
Cyrus had effectively masked his intentions until the critical moment, turning the tide of the battle in his favor. His strategic use of deception under the metaphorical veil of the night led to his victory, mirroring the principle of “The Silent Night.”
[Black Watch | Scrolls of Shunya | Scroll of the Silent Winds]
Last Modified: 10/22/2023