W

SAY NO

The advantages of nonaction.

Few in the world attain these.

—THE DAODEJING

hen Fabius was dispatched to lead the Roman legions against
Hannibal, he did nothing. He did not attack. He did not race
out to drive the terrifying invader out of Italy and back to Africa.
You might think this was a sign of weakness—certainly most of
Rome did—but in fact, it was all part of Fabius’s strategy. Hannibal
was far from home, he was losing men to the elements and could not
easily replace them. Fabius believed that if Rome just held out and
did not engage in any costly battles, they would win.
But the mob couldn’t handle that kind of deliberate restraint.
We’re the strongest army in the world, his critics said. We don’t sit
around doing nothing when someone tries to attack us! So while
Fabius was away attending a religious ceremony, they pressured his
commander Minucius to attack.
It did not go well. He ran straight into a trap. Fabius had to rush
to his rescue. And even then, Minucius was hailed as a hero for doing
something, while Fabius was labeled a coward for holding himself
back. When his term ended, the Roman assemblies voted to abandon
what is now known as a “Fabian strategy” of mostly avoiding battle
and wearing Hannibal down, in favor of greater aggression and more
action.