Stories

The starting point for global exploration using the 

Genesis

These are really great ways to think about things. Especially love the scenarios and their complexity.

There are four instruments of power: Military, Diplomacy, Economy, and Information. In national strategy, these are the tools that a nation uses to expand and protect its influence. The scale is not limited to a nation, however. 

We can understand and make use of these instruments of power in our own lives. By cultivating a mastery of the four instruments of power we become both

Let's discuss what they are and how they're used.

The military instrument of power is perhaps the easiest to grasp. Its development is also the easiest to postpone and delay. Don't fall into this trap. While active use of our military capability is far less frequent than that of the other instruments of power, its passive use as a conflict deterrent is critical and exhibited daily. 

The military capability is our ability to defend ourselves, and it's characterized by the following attributes:

Cultivation of the Military instrument of power gives us peace to do the work we need to do to move forward with our vision of the future. It's in our fist when violence is threatened against us or against those in our care; it's in our tongue when our credibility is put under threat; and it's in our mind when our pursuit of the future is undermined. It's subject to 

, and is exercised only to the minimum extent required to achieve a Just goal. In long term environments, its use has a 

To see how this instrument might be used, imagine the following situations:

The diplomatic instrument of power is our ability to create peace using words and deals. It's characterized by the following attributes:

Cultivation of the Diplomatic instrument of power allows us to disarm ideological, egoic, and irrational resistance to positive outcomes. It gives us the ability to see past winning and losing into mutually beneficial ends to conflict situations. It allows us to rebuild frayed bonds among family, give gifts and do favors for others without making them feel beholden, and attract desirable people into our lives. In combination with a credible Military capability, a powerful diplomatic capability can provide a carrot and stick for any situation — reward for good behavior and punishment for bad. 

Imagine the following situations where the Diplomatic instrument of power would be useful:

The economic instrument of power equips us with the wisdom to understand when to say “No” and when to say "Yes".  

It's characterized by the following attributes:

Cultivation of the Economic instrument of power allows us to understand the value of our resources, and control their allocation such that we use them efficiently. This includes allocation of our most valuable resource, our time. The economic instrument is evident in our ability to treat our loved ones on special occasions without stress; it's in the commas in our bank account of course, but also in our ability to give intelligently; it's in our understanding and management of risk, when others are focused primarily on reward. 

It's not hard to imagine the economic instrument in simple cases, but others are less clear:

The informational instrument of power is the most mysterious and perhaps the most powerful. It's defined by our ability to alter our image in the minds of others. In the wrong hands, this capability will be used to the detriment of the innocent, and therefore must be restrained by a strong inclination toward positive outcomes. 

The hallmarks of a developed Information capability are:

Mastery of the Informational instrument of power gives us the ability to reveal to others who we really are. Its domain is the minds of others. It's the key that frees great ideas from the prison of an inarticulate mouth; it's a sense of safety and trust given to others before you have met them; it's the ability to identify, understand, and counteract when we are being manipulated or when we see someone being manipulated. The strong will deploy this capability to light fires in the hearts and minds of others. The weak, under the military umbrella of the law, will use it to assemble 

 designed to control the thoughts of the uninitiated and extract value from them.

Imagine the information capability at work in these situations:

These are the four instruments of power. When used in conjunction with each other, they are force multipliers. We can use them to 

 that devastate opposition, build up the success of our allies and teammates, and deter bad actors.

A side effect of cultivating mastery of the four instruments of power is calm, a sense of purpose, and a persistent belief in the future.

And glowing faintly in the calm, the realization that you were always the force coming to save you.