Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M1663

Loot a Burning House

Loot a Burning House
BusinessHigh supportMarketing
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Loot a Burning House is the fifth stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The original text reads: "When the enemy is in dire straits, seize the opportunity to gain advantage; this is the application of firmness over softness." In military terms, this stratagem means that when the enemy faces difficulties or troubles, we should take this opportunity to advance and attack, thereby subduing the opponent. It is also a form of surprise attack. As an idiom, "loot a burning house" is often used to describe taking advantage of someone's misfortune to reap benefits.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Loot a Burning House is the fifth stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The original text reads: "When the enemy is in dire straits, seize the opportunity to gain advantage; this is the application of firmness over softness." In military terms, this stratagem means that when the enemy faces difficulties or troubles, we should take this opportunity to advance and attack, thereby subduing the opponent. It is also a form of surprise attack. As an idiom, "loot a burning house" is often used to describe taking advantage of someone's misfortune to reap benefits.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

"Loot a Burning House" is one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, referring to taking advantage of an opponent's disaster (internal strife, crisis) to gain benefits or launch an attack when their strength is weakened. It emphasizes using the enemy's "danger" to create our "opportunity," commonly applied in competition and games.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B6%81%E7%81%AB%E6%89%93%E5%8A%ABZH · Explicit
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