Build In The Dark
Trump, Sun Tzu, and the Power of Strategic Secrecy
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Greenland. The Panama Canal. Canada. Gaza. Cuba and most recently Venezuela.
These are some of the countries that President Trump has threatened to annex, occupy, take over or integrate into the United States in some form.
What is the typical media response? Chaos.
They call Trump a dictator for the billionth time or try to send out apologies or reassurances to these nations.
To them Trump is reactivating the Manifest Destiny doctrine of the 19th century. He’s treating conquest like business acquisitions.
Now I personally think that Trump is acting like any world leader would for millennia. Wanting to take nations by diplomacy or force to acquire resources.
I could delve into the history of Andrew Jackson (who was terrible in my opinion), Manifest Destiny and the Warhawk sentiments in Congress that was around the time of the War of 1812 and afterwards.
But I want to discuss something else here.
Sun Tzu, ancient Chinese military strategist and philosopher, wrote a book called The Art Of War. Which happens to be one of my favorite books.
One thing he said is this: All Warfare Is Based On Deception.
Essentially, a skilled leader should be able to create a false impression of their strengths, weaknesses, resources, ability, intelligence etc. in order to mislead the enemy and gain an advantage.
It’s thinking ahead. It’s 4d chess.
And it may be what Trump is doing with media in more ways than one.
“Make the enemy prepare against you in many places, so his forces are divided“. That’s another quote from Sun Tzu.
The media may prepare counter-arguments, write op-eds, hold interviews, get the public enraged and distracted while he quietly does something else.
And it’s not just Trump. Likely tons of politicians, organizations, institutions etc. are doing similar things.
We see this strategy all the time, even in sports. Especially football. There’s deception in every play, each team trying to find openings while disguising their quarterback’s position. Coaches hold clipboards up to their mouths for a reason, someone being able to lip-read the coach could mean the difference between a successful play or a failed one.
We live in a culture now where “next moves” are broadcasted like movie trailers on social media. Many people want to share their upcoming win, their foretold victory, finish before they start as a show of initiative and strength.
There’s actually a problem with this psychologically. When people acknowledge these plans, your brain marks them as “partially complete” and then it can be harder to actually start them.
I knew a couple of entrepreneurs in my 20s and I found that most of them were annoyingly quiet about what they were working on. What I saw as curiosity, they saw it as sabotage.
It’s better to celebrate wins when or after they happen. Not before.
Identity and perception are another aspect that Sun Tzu discussed. Typically a smaller nation with a smaller military is seen as unlikely to win a battle. Unless they have an efficient economy and military.
The modern State of Israel demonstrates this principle through strategic opacity. They don’t broadcast their full capabilities or intentions, remaining deliberately vague about their military and economic strength while building feared power in the region. This silence about their true capacity is itself a tactical advantage, keeping adversaries uncertain and unable to prepare effectively.
ADHD, autism, introversion, traits society undervalues, carry hidden strengths: empathy, creativity, focus, grit. Superpowers if deployed strategically.
American History is full of stories of underdogs who used their “status” to subvert expectations and perceptions to build and do incredible things.
And with that comes incredible power and yes, responsibility.
I’m not saying you should never share your plans and goals with others. Share them with people you trust. But if you’re dealing with an obstacle that wants to take you down, whether that’s your own self-doubt or someone actively trying to sabotage you, that’s when you go silent. Let them prepare for the wrong opponent. Let them exhaust their energy on misdirection. Then move. Move quietly. Move decisively. Move without announcement. That’s when the real power emerges. Not in the noise, but in what happens while everyone else is listening to the noise.
In the Bible, Joshua, David, Gideon and plenty of others did it. Even Jesus did it in His talks with the Pharisees and how He slipped away from angry crowds. He let his normalness be His cover and the gospel message be His sword. We can do the same thing. Plan ahead, be careful who you share your plans with, strike without warning, slip away like a ninja.
Here are a couple of ways you can apply this to your own life:
Tip 1: Build in Private, Celebrate in Public
Share your plans only with trusted advisors, then disappear into execution mode. Let your work speak for itself when it’s finished.
Tip 2: Flip Your Perceived Weaknesses Into Advantages
Your introversion, neurodivergence, or outsider status gives you empathy, creativity, and focus that conventional thinkers miss. Weaponize what makes you different.
Tip 3: Choose Your Confidants Ruthlessly
When facing real obstacles, go silent and let your enemies prepare for the wrong opponent. Then move without warning.
Strategic silence is not weakness. It’s the most concentrated form of power available to you, and it costs nothing but discipline. The world mistakes noise for strength, but real strength moves quietly, builds invisibly, and strikes when least expected. Stop announcing your moves. Start executing them.
Live Free!
He who has ears, let him hear!