Early in the 18th-century, the French writer, philosopher and historian Voltaire found himself exiled in England. Walking through the streets one day he was surrounded by an angry mob agitating for his death. Voltaire remained calm, declaring to the crowd: “Men of England! You wish to kill me because I am a Frenchman. Am I not punished enough in not being born an Englishman?” The crowd cheered as it escorted him safely back to his rooms.
Four centuries before the birth of Christ in about 415 BC, the island of Melos was located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The Spartans originally conquered and colonized the people of Melos – the Melians – and Melos was loyal to Sparta. However, Athens was the dominant city-state of the time, owning the seas around Greece, and the Athenians approached the Melians and told them, basically, surrender or die. The Melians, a proud and honorable folk, argued, basically, that was not fair, in response to which the Athenians replied that force and power dictate the fairness of play, and that their opinion of the gods and their knowledge of men necessitated the conclusion that men rule all (i.e., anything and everyone) that men can. Melos proclaimed that Sparta would come to its aid, believing in the rightness of their cause, and the stoicism of honor, and declined the options offered – that is, surrender or die – and instead chose to fight, and then died. Sparta stayed neutral, the Melians were routed, and the Athenians put every Melian male of fighting age to death and sold the Melian women and children into slavery.
The lesson? There is nothing to be gained by fighting a losing battle. Not honor, not pride, not dignity. Weakness should not be viewed as a disability, but as an opportunity. If Melos had accepted Athens’ terms, it would have gained the advantage of time, of the ability to sabotage or undermine Athens’ rule from within, and to exploit its perceived complacency once the winds of fortune shifted direction.
Athens fell less than 20 years after routing Melos, following its defeat by the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War, about 400 BC.
In September 1947, the US was in the hysterical throes of the House Un-American Way and Means committee hearings, and Congress was going in hard on Hollywood. The Hollywood 19, a group of writers, producers, and directors, were called before the committee to answer questions designed to elicit, identify and expose communist, anti-American sentiments among the celebrity class. The strategy of the Hollywood 19 was to be combative, to argue and refuse to answer, to question the constitutionality of the inquiry. Bertold Brecht, a German writer with decidedly communistic and revolutionary ideals, emigrated to the States with other German intellectuals to escape the Nazi regime during WWII. He, too, was subpoenaed to testify, but he advised the Hollywood 19 to be cordial, to feign surrender, to respond politely yet with a mocking undertone, for surely these artistic intellectuals are leagues smarter than the bureaucrats who sought to silence them. The Hollywood 19 declined, attacked the committee, refused to answer questions, and were barred from working in Hollywood for decades. Brecht, on the other hand, was civil, polite, and although he spoke fluent English, used a German translator to answer questions, mocking and deriding the committee with vague responses, outright lies veiled by interpretation, and “linguistic obfuscation” while appearing servile, docile, defeated and weak. As a result, he was commended on his behavior, offered assistance with immigrating back to Germany, and maintained his artistic freedom rather than being imprisoned or silenced due to his views.
When the great lord passes, the wise peasant bows deeply and silently farts.
— Ethiopian proverb
De-escalation is an underutilized and underappreciated skill, the ability to defuse an argument or a situation with a calm, reasoned response is one of the keys of power. Overreactions tend to increase aggression, and once a temper is lost, so is the argument and the advantage. If an encounter becomes hostile, if someone tries to “push your buttons” and get you to react … don’t. Take a moment, a breather, and do not fight back, do not resist. Bend. Yield. Submit. Surrender. This reaction tends to unsettle your opponent and give them a false sense of control that can later be exploited to extract a future benefit.
The power of the surrender tactic is this: outwardly, you appear defeated while inwardly, you plan.
In any war, feigned surrender is a vital weapon the intelligent wield against the brute, like the opossum that plays dead until the dog is otherwise distracted. When faced with a more powerful opponent and certain defeat, concede the point, survive the encounter, and regroup for later attack.
Late in 5th century BC, following his defeat by a neighboring king, an ancient Chinese ruler considered fleeing rather than submit, but one of his advisers suggested that he surrender, present himself in service to the kingdom of his conqueror, and then use the opportunity to plot his revenge. The ruler agreed and began working in the stables, the lowliest of positions, humbling himself for three years until, satisfied with his loyalty, the king allowed the ruler to return home. When drought ravaged the conquering kingdom, the deposed ruler took advantage of the kingdom’s weakened stance, raised an army, invaded, and won. Had he run and lived in exile, the conquered ruler would have lost the opportunity for revenge.
In the mid-1850’s, Japan recognized the threat to its sovereignty presented by foreign trade from the West. Some advised violent resistance, but one minister – Hotta Masayoshi –suggested working with the interlopers, to forge alliances, to conduct trade, to learn from them and improve Japan’s position and cultural hegemony over time. If Japan had chosen war with the West, there was the risk of defeat social collapse, and population genocide, much like the Melians of ancient Greece.
“Úse surrender to gain access to your enemy.” – p.168
Power constantly shifts. A person powerful on Monday can be powerless by the weekend.
Ask Weinstein.
Ask Diddy.
If you find yourself threatened while in a weakened state, feigned surrender is a valuable weapon to wield against those who believe you beaten. A reluctant yet dignified submission can veil ambition, teach patience, discipline, and self-control, and provide the ideal opportunity to exact revenge when fortunes –inevitably – change. Fleeing or fighting destroys your advantage, whereas surrender can create opportunity.
While inherent in surrender is the risk of martyrdom, the typical winner wants the loser to suffer the knowledge of defeat. This, too, helps wield one of the keys to power – survive the loss, gain the advantage, extract the perfect revenge.