By Alexandros Sainidis

In boxing timing beats speed. If you catch the right moment, the glove can reach a fast-moving chin and inflict a knock-out blow. An alternative version of David and Goliath could be of speed and waiting. Waiting is viewed as a state rather than an action, though this is a simplification. It is a state of patience but it can also be a conscious  choice. Or, if things are bad, waiting is a result of freezing fear or even choice paralysis. We also wait because we are afraid of exploration: “what if the conditions outside, in the fog, are worse than the ones I am currently facing?” We, thus, dormant explorers, wait for the fog to clear up. 

Western culture by itself scrutinizes waiting. The current U.S. administration believes that if they wait for too long a threat like Iran, which it literally attacked, or China may grow so big that it will be much harder to contain in that grown state. This is in direct contrast to the Chinese philosophy of waiting, like a peasant expecting the fruit to produce itself naturally. Waiting can seem pacifist, but China ain’t no saint. Even trees compete underneath the ground for nutrients and so does Beijing with its roots (and routes) in the global economy.  

It is, therefore, incomplete to view waiting as a state. Instead, it should also be seen as strategic action. In fact, it is a spectrum. If I walk instead of running, even though I could, it is a mix of acting (I am walking, not standing) and waiting (walking takes more time than running). So what could be some acts of waiting? 

Waiting for gathering intelligence 

Intelligence can be cheap to gather (depends on the network), while secrets often reveal themselves without direct involvement or action. Someone else or events themselves will uncover that truth. A secret or uncertainty means that there are multiple outcomes. If you have 5 alternative paths to explore, it might be smarter to wait for the right path to reveal itself before committing to the passage. Naturally, though, some paths will stay in fog and never reveal their destination. Given this, you can always send cheaper scouts – a minor action while waiting. When we listen we also wait, having people reveal more information as they gain momentum talking. It is also good to sleep on something before acting. When facing a difficult situation, sleeping helps remove emotion from information, keeping your head cool.  

Waiting as a sign of power or at least a good bluff

You are being drawn into a street fight. Assume that the provocator is faster and stronger than you. There are three options: 

1. – Surrender (most risk-averse option)
2. – Fight (the provocator will win because he is stronger) 
3. – Run (the provocator will catch you because he is faster)
4. – Walk away (the provocator will be confused by your confidence. The response is unpredictable) 

Fighting also signals confidence. But confidence can also be overconfidence and in a fight you are measuring power – making it irrelevant. Walking away, however, places the burden on the provocator. It asks him the question “Do you really want to find out?” Similarly, we live at times where occupied states at war seem to continue their normal lives despite major cities being turned into battlefields. This gives people hope and reminds the world that the state is not paralyzed by the conflict. It is a sign of state prestige.

Perceived passivity can also be a facade. While a state may be quiet in one domain, it may be rapidly maneuvering in other dimensions. For example, a state may be silent publicly but very active using secret diplomacy. If all the attention at a chessboard is on the King, the unseen pawns can turn the tables. 

Waiting as a method for accumulation of options 

As you wait, you may be increasing your power, position, network or knowledge, identifying better ways to combine your resources or use alternatives. Are you winning whether the status quo changes now or later? Then, perhaps, you must find the value-maximizing point where leaving the status quo wins you the most – either because you have won enough, or because you reach the point where you see how the other state is bringing you more. 

Waiting as a form of stealth or defense 

Sometimes we capitalize on the mistakes of others. It is, therefore, wiser to let the enemy make mistakes first while holding our guard up or remaining invisible. Never interrupt your opponent when they are making a mistake

Wait

To summarize, it is easy to understand the value of waiting when we understand rhythm. The pause of waiting is what defines this rhythm, shaping actions like drawing with negative space.  It is an act and a state that is integrated and it has value when it is intentful.