The Essence of Long-Termism is a War of Attrition

Use cost to grind your opponent down. If you’re well-off, you can temporarily forgo small gains. But if he’s short on provisions, he has no choice but to rush into a decisive battle. Yet you refuse to do so — you simply wear him down. True, this process is painful for you as well, but the same pressure weighs differently on people with different levels of resilience. He buckles and exits the game, and you win.

The essence of this game is like a lion hunting a rabbit — it still brings its full strength to bear. If you’re not a lion, raise yourself into one, then go hunt the rabbit. Don’t be a rabbit trying to fight a lion; otherwise, you’ll blunder every move.