Reframing Victory
Why was one of the greatest generals in history also considered a dishonorable coward?
Over 2,000 years ago, during the Warring States Era of China, there lived a man named Li Mu. He was a brilliant military strategist who rose to the position of general in the state of Zhao. Yet, his unorthodox tactics earned him infamy and ridicule from both his enemies and his allies.
Li Mu was known as a defensive general, one who often chose to retreat rather than fight. When confronted by enemy forces, he would withdraw into heavily fortified positions or refuse to engage in open battle. To his contemporaries, this approach was seen as dishonorable. The prevailing notion of victory at the time was simple: you proved your worth on the battlefield by cutting down your enemies face-to-face. To avoid direct combat was, in the eyes of many, an act of weakness and disgrace.
But Li Mu saw things differently. Despite the mockery he endured, he achieved overwhelming success on the battlefield. His victories were not born of bold charges or glorious duels but of careful strategy and deliberate restraint. For Li Mu, victory was not measured by personal glory or the number of enemies slain, it was measured by the number of lives saved. By focusing on defense, setting traps, and outlasting his enemies, he minimized casualties for the Zhao army while achieving strategic triumphs. To him, every soldier who returned home alive was a victory, even if it meant being scorned as a coward.
Li Mu’s story offers a powerful lesson: true success lies in reframing what victory means. His contemporaries measured victory by the standards of honor and bravery on the battlefield, but Li Mu rejected these external metrics in favor of his own. In doing so, he not only saved countless lives but also demonstrated the strength of staying true to what he valued most.
This idea of reframing victory is one we can all apply in our own lives. Too often, we allow society or others to define what success should look like, whether it’s wealth, status, or the approval of others. But just as Li Mu redefined victory to prioritize what mattered most to him, we too can choose what truly matters to us. Whether it’s prioritizing personal growth, building meaningful relationships, or protecting our mental well-being, we get to decide what victory means to us.
Ultimately, Li Mu teaches us that true strength comes not from conforming to others’ expectations but from having the courage to define victory on your own terms. By reframing what success means to you, you can find fulfillment, achieve your true goals, and lead a life aligned with your deepest values—even if others don’t understand your choices. After all, just like Li Mu, the greatest victories are often those that others fail to see.