[Reflection] #29: Combining “Momentum” and “Moment” – The Art of War
In the Art of War, Sun Tzu writes: “The potential of troops led with skill in battle can be compared to that of round boulders rolling down from the top of a mountain” and “If a falcon strikes its prey in one blow, it is because it strikes at exactly the right moment”. How to apply this in daily life? Today, we will study how to combine “momentum” (placing round boulders atop a mountain) with the opportune “moment” (to strike like a falcon).
This post was written by Vietnamese writer and philosopher Dang Than. I will also copy/paste the Vietnamese text below and add my own comments.
Here is the translation into French:
REFLECTION ON “MOMENTUM” AND “THE OPPORTUNE MOMENT”
— A gift to friends passionate about the study of the I Ching
All plans fail if they are poorly timed. All strategies are in vain if they go against the current. “Momentum” and “Moment” are like two flows of energy – one that carries, one that flows – if one does not possess the “Symbols & Energies” (main content of the I CHING STUDIES II program) to illuminate them, they remain very difficult to grasp.
- MOMENTUM? “勢” (shì) = Momentum/Impetus
The character ” shì” (勢) (momentum) combines force (力) and the character “establish momentum” (埶), meaning a dynamic force arising from structure and position. That is:
MOMENTUM = POSTURE + POSITIONAL FORCE + CONFIGURATION + TERRAIN
Momentum takes the form of force, as Sun Tzu teaches: An army possesses “momentum” when it occupies the high ground to attack downward, uses pincer formations, controls strategic terrain. A person has “momentum” when they rely on power, money, or other (respectable) people. Momentum is the positional relationship between ourselves and our environment, creating natural leverage.
Momentum is the pace, the dynamic posture, like a person who “gains momentum” progresses toward favorable conditions, a business that “loses momentum” sees its structure fracture. Momentum is the directional tendency of force.
Momentum is the overall configuration, like in a chess game: one may have territorial advantage, but not necessarily win if the “moment” is lacking.
Momentum is also the structure of forces surrounding us, the foundation on which the mind generates action. Momentum does not arise by itself; it is born from “Tượng & Khí” (Symbols and Breath/Energy/Qi), arising from six forms of configuration: geographical configuration, human configuration, political configuration, the trend of time, the configuration of winds, and even the configuration of the invisible. - MOMENT?
The character “Moment” (時) combines the sun (日) and the temple (寺), meaning the instant when the sun passes through a position, then returns. That is, the cycle, the rhythm.
The moment is the instant, the cycle. “At the right moment,” one flourishes. “At the wrong time,” one falls. The moment is the celestial rhythm, which no one can force.
The moment is the convergence of conditions. The moment of a human life is “karmic opportunity.” The moment of a nation is “heavenly time.” The moment of maturity of wisdom is “the time of awakening.”
Having Momentum without the Moment is wasting one’s strength. Having the Moment without knowing how to rely on Momentum is to collapse.
The moment is the energetic rhythm. “Chaotic times,” “growth times,” “post-modern times”… all these denote a global dynamic that creates natural influence. - DISTINCTION AND CONNECTION
In essence, Momentum is the structure of force and position; Moment is cycle and rhythm.
In function, Momentum is leverage and foundation; Moment is opportunity and the propitious instant.
Momentum can be created, the Moment cannot be forced.
Momentum can be deployed with great majesty, but without Moment, it is but a standing corpse.
The Moment can be very fragile, but if seized, even the weak can break Momentum like a straw.
“”Tượng & Khí” (Symbols and Breath/Energy/Qi) create the moment and the momentum, the mind, destiny.” This implicitly contains a whole philosophy of change: “Symbols and Energy” are the encounter between visible Form, invisible Breath, and Intention. The “Moment” is the instant when symbols and energies align at the right rhythm. The “Momentum” is when symbols and energies create a stable position, a deployment, an opening for things of the moment. “The Mind” is the ability to perceive the moment and momentum to act rightly. “Destiny” is the consequence of this whole chain, like waves created by the wind of “symbols and energies” blowing over the course of life. - DEEPER COMMENTARY
Momentum can uplift, can overwhelm, can overturn. It is what is below but can push what is above. It resembles the fingerprints of history: no one can explain why they undulate so, but once imprinted, no one can avoid them. A political regime may have a powerful army, abundant resources, but without momentum, it is like a giant slipping on a banana peel. A person may have talent and virtue, but without momentum, it is like a tree planted upside down. Momentum is “the quantum slope”: the one with the advantage stands on the hill, a simple flick can topple the colossus below.
The Moment is the lightning presence of an oscillation large enough to grasp the immutable. Some wait their whole lives for a moment. Others pass through a moment without knowing it. Some step into the moment like a bird sensing the spring wind—naturally, they sing. Others miss the moment like a fish thrown onto the shore. The moment is the instant when the celestial door opens, a rift in fate. It’s a gust that passes only once. It’s the “opportunity” that can shape a whole life like a note shapes a symphony.
Momentum generates force, Moment generates opportunity. The one who knows leans on momentum to wait for the moment, and uses the moment to initiate new momentum. Don’t break momentum by brute force, don’t wait for the moment with just your heart. The sage is the one who swims in the right current, the smart one is the one who leaps when the wind rises.
Politics is a game of momentum, commerce is a pursuit of the moment. The one who does politics doesn’t create momentum but knows how to position themselves where momentum will lift them. Cao Cao said: “I don’t create the chaos of the world, I simply take advantage of the chaos of the world to act.” The one who does business doesn’t create the moment but knows how to hoist sails when the wind barely rises. “Celestial moment (good timing), earthly advantage (strategic position), human harmony (unity of people)” are actually three ways of talking about momentum: celestial moment is the dynamic aspect, earthly advantage is the structural aspect, and human harmony is the “emotional” aspect of momentum. Everything succeeds if you hit the intersection point of the three waves.
So, can momentum be changed? Can the moment be created? The answer: yes, but not by brute force, by Energy. Energy is what creates momentum. The energy of a person, the energy of a people, the energy of an era—it’s precisely what silently shapes the shifting ground of history. If a petty man becomes king, it’s because the energy of that era calls for petty men. If a sage is born, it’s not to transform but to prove that ignorance is already great enough. A small breeze can change the direction of a sail if the sky is calm. But in a storm, even a giant fan has no effect. Standing serenely in the middle of this energy flow, without forcing, without pushing, only transforming. Transforming from within… Knowing when to step back when momentum is too adverse, when the moment hasn’t opened yet, is living like breathing. Silently, but the wind accompanies you. In “Momentum” and “Moment,” the winner is simply the one who knows how to adapt. Serenity is the harmony that needs no adaptation, just a small light laugh…
Q&A:
Question: The petty man becomes king thanks to the energy of that era. So, what created the energy of that era?
Answer: T‘he energy of that era is born from an entire collective breathing badly for too long.
Question: Without the moment, breaking a straw isn’t that easy. The difficulty lies in knowing how to read the times and circumstances of your own era?
Answer: To know your own moment and momentum, you need three levels of observation, by setting up mirrors: observing the sky, observing the earth, observing your own heart. To know the “Moment,” you look outward to see what the current era is. Is it a time of turmoil or a time of accomplishment? A time to raise troops or a time to retreat? Use your ears to listen to the world, your eyes to read the clouds, your belly to gauge the strength of the wind. The moment is the great karmic energy of the whole, it doesn’t belong to the individual, but the individual must know how, like a sailor knows how to wait for the tide.
To know the “Momentum,” you look around to see where you stand on the chessboard. Are you riding the wave or at the bottom? Are you surrounded or in a position to encircle? Who are the allies? Who are the enemies? Momentum is the lever—knowing how to place force in the right spot, a slight pressure can be worth tons.
To know “Oneself,” you look inward: what do I have in my hands, in my head, in my courage? Am I fire or water? Am I the attacker, or a goalkeeper? Am I good at initiating, or only at waiting for the moment? Without knowing yourself, even if the moment arrives, you’ll miss it; even if momentum is built, it will collapse.
So, to know your own moment and momentum, you can’t sit around waiting for them to fall on your head. You have to get out, look, question, experiment, and stay awake. And often, it’s only by banging your head against the stone that you realize you were climbing the wrong damn mountain.
My comments
This text will please people with an advanced level in Yi King. Because they will have understood that Yi King is an introspective mirror for understanding oneself. It’s also a GPS that shows us where we are in the cycle of life. Mastering Yi King is equivalent to knowing the “moment” of opportunity.
But if you don’t know Yi King, this text will still guide you in your personal life.
To fully seize the moment, we must build the “momentum,” which allows us to strike hard when the “moment” arrives. Elon Musk spent 10 years (2008-2018) patiently building the momentum for Tesla in the shadows: factories, batteries, software, superchargers, company culture, brand awareness. Then between 2018-2021, when the moment arrived (climate awakening + governments pushing EVs), Tesla exploded and went from 57 billion to 800 billion in market cap in 2021. Competitors like VW missed the moment (market timing): they announced their EVs in 2016-2017, but hadn’t built the necessary momentum. When they were finally ready in 2021-2022, Tesla already had years of head start. As Dang Than wrote: “The sage swims in the right current, the smart one leaps when the wind rises.” Musk built his momentum in the right current (inevitable electrification), then leaped in 2018 when the wind rose.
In your personal career, if you’re aiming for a promotion to position B, you build your “momentum” by acquiring as many of the required skills for that position as possible, while having colleagues & managers who support your advancement… so that when the “moment” arrives (the current holder of position B leaves), you apply for that position and get promoted. “Having the Moment without knowing how to leverage Momentum is collapsing.” Without all this preparation, even if the “moment” arrives but you haven’t built your “momentum” (no colleagues support your candidacy, you lack the required skills), the “moment” will pass, and who knows when other moments will come.
“Momentum can be deployed with great majesty, but without Moment, it’s just a standing corpse.” : You can build ideal momentum for 10-20 years, but if the timing is bad, or the moment never arrives, everything is wasted. A few years ago, being a developer, even junior, was a hot job. But since 2024, with AI & market saturation, developers aren’t in demand; you can be valedictorian and still not find a permanent contract.
Google Glass perfectly illustrates the “bad timing” effect: launched in 2012-2013, Google was at peak fame, the glasses were beautiful and technically innovative (momentum). Yet, the moment was disastrous. Fears of surveillance, a prohibitive price ($1,500), lack of a use case understood by the public, and a failing battery caused total rejection. Google Glass disappeared in 2015, despite ~$900 million invested. The same product, reinvented in a different form, succeeded spectacularly years later. The Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, launched in October 2023, sold 2 million pairs in 18 months, aiming for 10 million/year by 2026. Why the reversal? The moment changed: in 2023-2025, AI infrastructure is mature, societal acceptance has evolved (surveillance became mundane, normalization of wearables Apple Watch, Oura Ring, etc.), the price is reasonable ($299-799), the Ray-Ban Wayfarer design avoids stigmatization, and the use case is clear (video recording, AI assistant, social commerce). Meta had quietly built its momentum (Oculus acquisition in 2014, continuous XR research, Llama) and struck at the right instant.
Thus, one must know how to read the signs before building momentum. Reading the signs involves “observing the sky, […] the earth, [….] your own heart”, which requires intuition.
“In ‘Momentum’ and ‘Moment’, the winner is simply the one who knows how to adapt,” it’s not because the right timing comes that it will stay forever; you must constantly adapt and reinvent yourself. During Covid, thousands of small businesses exploded by selling on Instagram or Etsy, buoyed by exceptional circumstances and a massive influx of online purchases. But many never thought about “the aftermath”: neither the end of the Covid crisis, nor the decline in purchasing power. When Instagram and Etsy changed their algorithms, views and sales collapsed almost overnight. With true “momentum”, these businesses would have used the peak to prepare for the future ‘moment’ rather than suffer its end (e.g., gradually migrating customers to their own site, building an email base, diversifying channels, reducing reliance on Instagram/Etsy, setting up subscriptions to cope with shrinking purchasing power, etc.).
In conclusion, the age-old wisdom of The Art of War (purchase link) and the I Ching (purchase link) reveals a timeless strategy. I hope you’ll have time to read these books and better apply them to your personal life. To learn more about The Art of War, read this article , and this one
ON “MOMENTUM” AND “MOMENT”
— Dedicated to you who love the I Ching
Every plan fails if the timing is wrong. Every scheme is meaningless if it goes against the momentum. “Momentum” and “Moment” are like two currents – one supports, one passes by – if you don’t have “Image & Energy” (the core content of the I CHING II program) to illuminate them, they are very hard to grasp.
- MOMENTUM?
The character “Momentum” (勢) consists of the power radical (力) and the character for posture/position (埶), meaning force moving from structural strength and position. That is:
MOMENTUM = POSTURE + FORCE + FORMATION + TERRAIN
Momentum is the shape of force, as Sun Tzu taught that an army has “momentum” when it strikes from a height, attacks in a pincer, occupies strategic ground. A person has “momentum” when leaning on power, money, or others (commanding respect). Momentum is the positional relationship between you and your circumstances, creating a natural lever.
Momentum is the posture, the dynamic stance, like a person “rising in momentum” is moving toward favorable, a company “losing momentum” is breaking structure. “Momentum” is the force trend (leaning in which direction).
Momentum is the overall situation, like a chess game, momentum can let you outmaneuver in occupation, but it’s not certain to win if you lack “moment”.
Momentum also is the surrounding force structure, the foundation for the mind to generate action. Momentum doesn’t exist by itself; it’s born from “Image & Energy”, from terrain, human dynamics, politics, trends, winds, and even empty momentum. - MOMENT?
The character “Moment” (時) consists of the sun (日: sun) and temple (寺), meaning the instant the sun passes a position, then returns. That is, cycles, rhythms.
Moment is the time, the cycle. “Right moment” blooms. “Off moment” falls. Moment is the rhythm of heaven, no one can resist it.
It was a time of converging destiny. The time of a human life is “opportunity.” The time of a nation is “season.” The time of ripened wisdom is “timeliness.” Having the Force but lacking the Time makes effort futile. Having the Time but failing to harness the Force leads to ruin.
Time is the meteorological rhythm. “Turbulent times,” “the era of opening up,” “postmodern times”—all point to a sweeping mode of operation that exerts its natural pull. - DISTINGUISHING AND CONNECTING
In essence, the Force is the structure of strength and position; Time is the cycle and rhythm. In role, the Force is the lever and foundation; Time is the opportunity and the moment.
The Force can be built, but Time cannot be forced. The Force can be displayed with great might, yet without Time, it is merely a standing corpse. Time can be fragile, but seized at the right moment, the weak can break the Force like snapping a straw.
“The likeness and spirit create the current’s force, the mindset, and the fateful momentum.” This implies a whole dynamic philosophical system: “Likeness and spirit” is the convergence of Form, Energy, and Intent. “Time” is the moment when this energy moves in rhythm. “The Force” is when this energy creates a stance, a display, an opening for things. “Mindset” is the ability to sense time and force to act rightly. “Fate” is the result of this entire chain, like waves stirred by the wind of likeness and spirit blowing into the stream of life. - DISSOLUTION
The Force can lift, suppress, or overturn. It lies beneath and pushes what is above. It is like the fingerprints of history: no one can explain why they twist as they do, but once imprinted, no one can escape them. A regime with a strong army and abundant resources, lacking the Force, is like a giant slipping on a banana peel. A person of great talent and virtue, without the Force, is like a tree planted upside down. The Force is a “quantum slope”: one with the advantage stands on a hill, and a mere flick can topple someone massive below.
Time is the fleeting presence of an undulation large enough to capture the invariant. Some wait their whole life for a time; some pass through a time without knowing. Some enter it like a bird sensing spring wind and naturally sing; others miss it like a fish stranded on a shore. Time is the instant the gate of heaven opens, a gap in fate. It is a wind that blows but once. It is an “occasion” that can shape a life as a note shapes a symphony.
The Force generates power; Time generates opportunity. The wise follow the Force to await Time, and use Time to set a new Force in motion. Do not break the Force with strength, nor wait for Time with passive resignation. The clever swim with the current; the wise spring when the wind rises.
Politics is a game of the Force; business is a chase after Time. Politicians do not create the Force but know where to stand so it lifts them. Cao Cao said: “I do not bring chaos to the realm; I merely ride the realm’s chaos.” Businesspeople do not create Time but know to set sail when the wind stirs. “Heaven’s time, earthly advantage, human harmony” are three views of the Force: heaven’s time is its dynamic aspect, earthly advantage its structural form, and human harmony its “emotional” core. All succeeds when you hit the convergence of these three waves.
So, can the Force be changed? Can Time be created? The answer: yes, but not by force—by Energy. Energy is the maker of the Force. The energy of a person, a people, an era is what smolders into the moving landscape of history. A “petty person” becomes king because the era’s energy summons the petty. A saint is born not to reform but to prove that delusion has grown too thick. A small breeze can shift a sail on a calm sea, but in a storm, a massive propeller is useless. Dissolution stands amid that energy, neither forcing nor pushing, but transforming. Transforming from within… Knowing when to retreat when the Force is too adverse, when Time has not yet peeped, is living as breathing. Quietly, yet the wind rushes in. In the “Force” and “Time,” the victor is merely the one who adapts. Dissolution is harmony without needing to fit; all it takes is a soft laugh… he he.
[Phoenix Guard Notes]
Question: The petty person becomes emperor thanks to the era’s energy. So what—or who—creates that era’s energy?
Answer: That era’s energy is born from a whole collective breathing wrong for far too long.
Question: Breaking a straw is hardly easy. The real difficulty is knowing your own times and circumstances.
Answer: To know your own times and circumstances, you need three mirrors: scan the sky, scan the earth, scan your own heart. To know “Time,” look outward and see what the age is. Is it turbulent or foundational? A time to raise arms or lie low? Lend your ears to the world, read the clouds at the horizon, measure the wind with your gut. Time is the grand fortune of the whole, not individual, but the individual must know it like a sailor knows to wait for the tide.
To know “the Force,” look around and see where you stand on the board. Are you riding the wave or at the bottom? Surrounded or surrounding? Who are allies? Who are enemies? The Force is a lever; place your might right, and a light flick becomes a thousand-pound weight.
To know “yourself,” look inward: what do you hold in hand, in head, in gut?
Are you fire or water? A spark or a goalie? A starter or a waiter? If you don’t know yourself, Time will pass you by, and any Force you build will collapse.
So, to know your own times and circumstances, you cannot sit waiting for them to drop on your head. You must go, look, ask, endure, and stay alert. And often, only when you bash your head on rock do you realize you’ve been climbing the wrong mountain.
