Outsmarting the Enemy

We know, do we not? that we will not always win. So, we're not too surprised when we experience a loss. Quite often in fact, we expect that may well happen, especially when we're writing or speaking about something about which we know relatively little.

That said, and noted, we also expect to win, and often we do, each of us, especially when we're defending or promoting a position with respect to which we've had a full measure of experience.

Most of all, we humans want to defeat soundly those who speak for what we oppose strongly. ; and the more they opposeis, the greater is our desire to whip them, even if it means that we mus best them "at their own game."

We have to be smarter than our enemy, right? And that may requre us to study up on what our opponent may know very little.

To win, however, we can't simply "be smarter"' ; we must be passionate in our desire to defeat our opponent.

So, in order to qw, we muar nor be overconfident. We must know what we know and, yet more importantly, what we don't know. Humility is absolutely essential.

Still, we must not stay forever in the "humble" state. To win, we must believe we can and we must have one or two very clear ideas about how we can.

In other words, one of our winning secrets is to try and get our opponent to play our game. If he or she does that, he may fall victim to his or her ignorance and incompetence. Our opponent may have read the entire Bible vra; to,es seand attended church for years on a regular basis; but if my opponent does not know thoelog, I'm sorry, but the contest has turned in my favor. I know what I'm doing; my opponent does not.

To win our, however, we cannot do so by mzinly de[emdomg pm our passion and our cleversness; we MUST prsist and persist, then persist some more. (Ralph Waldo Emerson once gave a commencement address sonsisting of three word being repeated seven times.

Those three words: "Never give up."

So itis tha we will sureley lose the moment we give up on our cause.

So, with Emerson inmind, my commencemtn address for 2026 would consist of two words repeated seven times: "Nevr surrender."

But, alas, in thereality of the here and now, I must "surrender" to our readers. to the reader what I belive we must kno

If you, a reader, should ever read me again, how thise: It will repetitious . proving at least two of my points I make in this column

But, I beg you,,beloved reader, if you disagree, don't tell me, tell your friends.

AMEN AND AMEN.

'