--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The answer was again in the affirmative…" description: "\"“The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/sun-tzu-283_concubines_the-answer-was-again-in-the-affirmative_107030.jpg" --- # The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements… ![“The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: “I…” quote by Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/sun-tzu-283_concubines_the-answer-was-again-in-the-affirmative_107030.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/sun-tzu-283_concubines_the-answer-was-again-in-the-affirmative_107030.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/601/sun-tzu-283_concubines_the-answer-was-again-in-the-affirmative_107030.jpg) > ““The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: “I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?”” [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A commander uses a simple test of orientation to ensure soldiers understand basic spatial awareness before complex maneuvers. **In simple terms:** Check fundamentals before advanced tactics. Key Takeaway Basic competence is essential for success. Themes leadership training discipline strategy Mood pragmatic focused Type instructional strategic When to use this quote - military drills - team sports practice - corporate onboarding Key Concepts learning hierarchy cognitive load theory Practical Applications - Conduct quick orientation quizzes - Use visual cues to reinforce directionality Questions to Reflect On - How do you gauge when basics are mastered? - What signals indicate readiness for complex tasks? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on basics can delay progress if not balanced with skill development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [180 Ladies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/180-ladies-1280965/) [Concubines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concubines/) [Concubines Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concubines-head-1280962/) [Left hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-hand/) [Palace Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/palace-sun-1280964/) [Right hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-hand/) [Tzu Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tzu-divided-1280963/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps what is really being proposed by the Evangelical fundamentalists is a return not to the 1950s family but to the family of biblical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-reiss/perhaps-what-is-really-being-proposed-by-the-evangelical/) [Ira Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-reiss/) > [In pious times, ere priest-craft did begin, Before polygamy was made a sin; When man, on many, multipli'd his kind, Ere one to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/in-pious-times-ere-priest-craft-did-begin-before-polygamy-was-made-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“...he would tell stories about the Holy City, about Solomon, a just king, a poet-king, a monarch with a thousand concubines. We weren't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-would-tell-stories-about-the-holy-city-about-solomon-a-just-king-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Princes are fighters or administrators. Neither of those things do much to spread joy in the world. Whores, concubines, and catamites, on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-knowles/princes-are-fighters-or-administrators-neither-of-those-things-do/) [Jill Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-knowles/) > [What has ISIS done to the women in the cities they have conquered? 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I will not resign myself to the usual lot of women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trieu-thi-choi/my-wish-is-to-ride-the-tempest-tame-the-waves-kill-the-sharks-i-will/) [Trieu Thi Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trieu-thi-choi/) ## More by Sun Tzu > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. 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Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“So long as victory can be attained,  stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/so-long-as-victory-can-be-attained-stupid-haste-is-preferable-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/you-can-ensure-the-safety-of-your-defense-if-you-only-hold-positions/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/if-we-do-not-wish-to-fight-we-can-prevent-the-enemy-from-engaging-us/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-general-who-wins-a-battle-makes-many-calculations-in-his-temple/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-all-fighting-the-direct-method-may-be-used-for-joining-battle-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/to-begin-by-bluster-but-afterwards-to-take-fright-at-the-enemy-s/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [ They \[spies\] cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/they-spies-cannot-be-properly-managed-without-benevolence-and/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) [Explore all 685 Sun Tzu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) ## More Concubines quotes > [Perhaps what is really being proposed by the Evangelical fundamentalists is a return not to the 1950s family but to the family of biblical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-reiss/perhaps-what-is-really-being-proposed-by-the-evangelical/) [Ira Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-reiss/) > [Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/whenever-you-talk-about-chinese-dragons-emperors-palaces-concubines/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“Finding out that you are not your lover’s only lover hurts, but not as much as discovering that you are the side chick ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/finding-out-that-you-are-not-your-lover-s-only-lover-hurts-but-not-as/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Book lovers are thought by unbookish people to be gentle and unworldly, and perhaps a few of them are so. But there are others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/book-lovers-are-thought-by-unbookish-people-to-be-gentle-and/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [On their sofas of spice and feathers, the concubines also slept fretfully. In those days the Earth was still flat, and people dreamed often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/on-their-sofas-of-spice-and-feathers-the-concubines-also-slept/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property - either as a child, a wife,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-fact-that-in-mohammedan-law-every-woman-must-belong-to-some-man/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I’m very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. 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Quinn asked over his shoulder, trying to sound nonchalant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-marlowe/sanjay-we-ve-never-talked-about-your-domestic-relationships-but-you/) [Mia Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-marlowe/) > [The greatest concubines in history knew that everything revealed with nothing concealed is a bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-beene/the-greatest-concubines-in-history-knew-that-everything-revealed-with/) [Geoffrey Beene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-beene/) > [We have mistresses for pleasure, concubines to care for our daily bodys needs and wives to bear us legitimate children and to be faithful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/we-have-mistresses-for-pleasure-concubines-to-care-for-our-daily/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [What has ISIS done to the women in the cities they have conquered? 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