“If the feeling of having nothing to lose can propel you forward, it can do the same for others. You must avoid any conflict with people in this position.”

The 33 Strategies of War, Strategy 4, The Death-Ground Strategy

There is a raw, undeniable power in the state of having nothing to lose.

Desperation has a way of stripping away hesitation, of erasing the fears that usually hold people back.

When a person finds themselves with no alternative but to push forward, they do so with a ferocity that cannot be easily countered.

If the risk of failure no longer matters—because circumstances have already dealt them the worst—then they become unpredictable, unrelenting, and far more dangerous than an adversary still burdened by things they wish to protect.

This principle, though advantageous when applied to ourselves, must also be recognised in others.