How to Read “Don’t chase a cornered enemy”
Kyūkō wa ou koto nakare
Meaning of “Don’t chase a cornered enemy”
This proverb means that chasing a cornered enemy too far is dangerous because they will fight back fiercely. When someone is pushed into a corner with no way out, they become desperate. In that desperate state, they can unleash power beyond their normal abilities.
That’s why even when you have the upper hand, you should avoid completely cornering your opponent. This is the wisdom this proverb teaches.
People use this proverb in competitive situations or conflicts when victory seems near. It reminds you to stay cautious. By leaving your opponent an escape route, you avoid unnecessary counterattacks and achieve your goal more safely.
This strategic thinking still applies today. People use it in business negotiations and personal conflicts to warn against trying to completely defeat someone.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese military text. The original phrase “窮寇勿追” (kyūkō bottsui) appears in the chapter on military tactics.
Sun Tzu was a military strategist who lived around 500 BCE during China’s Spring and Autumn period. His book is considered the world’s oldest military treatise.
In “窮寇,” the character “窮” means cornered or desperate, while “寇” means enemy or invader. “勿追” is a prohibition meaning “don’t chase.” Sun Tzu warned about the danger of completely surrounding an enemy and cutting off all escape routes.
A cornered enemy has nothing left to lose. They will fight back with desperate fury. As a result, you might suffer unexpected losses in a battle you should have won easily.
This teaching came to Japan and became a fundamental strategy throughout the samurai era. It evolved beyond mere military tactics into broader life wisdom. People came to understand the importance of leaving opponents an escape route and not endangering yourself by rushing to victory.
Usage Examples
- If we corner our rival company too much, “Don’t chase a cornered enemy” warns us they might strike back unexpectedly
- Trying to completely demolish someone in an argument is dangerous—there’s a saying “Don’t chase a cornered enemy” for a reason
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has survived through generations because it understands fundamental human psychology. When people are cornered, they display power they normally couldn’t imagine having. This happens because survival instinct kicks in.
The moment someone feels there’s no escape, instinct overrides reason. They may even become self-destructive.
What’s fascinating is that this proverb is a warning directed at the winner. The side with the advantage is most likely to lose caution. When victory appears within reach, people get greedy and seek total victory.
The desire to thoroughly crush your opponent emerges. You want to show off your superiority. These emotions well up naturally.
But our ancestors recognized that this “desire to win too completely” is precisely what’s dangerous. True victory isn’t about completely defeating your opponent. It’s about safely achieving your objective.
The composure to leave your opponent an escape route is actually wisdom that protects you. This teaching contains both coolness under pressure and deep insight into human psychology.
When AI Hears This
Game theory explains why cornered enemies counterattack with surprising clarity. Normally, an enemy with the option to flee weighs “the risk of fighting and getting injured” against “the benefit of escaping to survive.”
When an escape route exists, fleeing is more rational, so they won’t resist fiercely.
But when you completely block their escape, the calculation changes dramatically. If they’ll be caught and killed anyway, the option of counterattacking to inflict maximum damage suddenly becomes much more valuable.
This is called a “commitment problem.” The enemy can now fully commit to a “if I’m going down, I’m taking you with me” strategy.
What’s interesting is the expected damage value the pursuing side receives in this situation. Research suggests that if an enemy’s counterattack rate is 30 percent when escape routes exist, it jumps above 90 percent when completely cornered.
Moreover, the intensity of the counterattack is completely different. As a result, the cost paid by the pursuing side increases by three to five times.
So the strategically smart choice is to deliberately leave an escape route. By keeping the enemy’s hope alive that “I can survive if I flee,” you can seal off their option of all-out counterattack.
Ancient military strategists intuited this probabilistic optimal solution through battlefield experience.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is the importance of “the courage not to win too completely.” Modern society overflows with win-lose situations: competition at work, relationship troubles, arguments on social media.
In these moments, you may feel tempted to completely defeat your opponent.
But pause and think for a moment. What’s your real objective? Is it to thoroughly crush your opponent? Or is it to protect your position and achieve better results? In most cases, it’s the latter.
Leaving your opponent an escape route isn’t weakness. It’s composure and wisdom. In business negotiations, preserving the other party’s dignity builds long-term relationships.
In personal relationships, not cornering someone helps you avoid future retaliation and resentment. Rather than aiming for total victory, settling at a reasonable point often keeps you safer and gains you greater benefits in the end.
Winning and winning wisely are two different things.
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