A Warrior of the Light needs both patience and speed. The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip. To avoid this, the Warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes, or other people’s opinions. The caliph Moauiyat asked Omr Ben Al-Aas the secret of his great political skills: “I never get involved in something without having first worked out my retreat. Then again, I have never gone into a situation and immediately wanted to run straight out again.”
