Nice piece. One suggestion would be to make a distinction between tactical adaptation, where that succeeds and fails, and then where flexibility (rather than adaptation) comes into play. Recommend a look at Finkel’s work On Flexibility. Lastly, I’m not sure the lessons learned from other wars is quite as straightforward as Ryan and others allege. Worth reading Bruce Sterling’s Other People’s Wars.
At first glance the differences between the meanings of flexibility and adaptability seem almost pointless to belabor, but one of the hallmarks of thought provoking military theory is to use established vocabulary to reorient understanding. It’s useful exercise and calls to mind the old joke about the two psychiatrists passing in a corridor when one of them says, “Hello”…and as they continue walking in their respective directions the second think to himself, “I wonder what he meant by that”. The usefulness of reading a wide range of authors including from other countries is to cultivate flexibility of mind and openness to differing ideas and perspectives.
Nice piece. One suggestion would be to make a distinction between tactical adaptation, where that succeeds and fails, and then where flexibility (rather than adaptation) comes into play. Recommend a look at Finkel’s work On Flexibility. Lastly, I’m not sure the lessons learned from other wars is quite as straightforward as Ryan and others allege. Worth reading Bruce Sterling’s Other People’s Wars.
At first glance the differences between the meanings of flexibility and adaptability seem almost pointless to belabor, but one of the hallmarks of thought provoking military theory is to use established vocabulary to reorient understanding. It’s useful exercise and calls to mind the old joke about the two psychiatrists passing in a corridor when one of them says, “Hello”…and as they continue walking in their respective directions the second think to himself, “I wonder what he meant by that”. The usefulness of reading a wide range of authors including from other countries is to cultivate flexibility of mind and openness to differing ideas and perspectives.