Stratagem 17: Throw a Brick to Attract Jade
This stratagem is about calibrated offering. You present something of lower value in order to provoke a more valuable response, reveal information, or invite a larger exchange.
📖 Definition
Stratagem 17 works through calibrated exchange: offer something modest enough to risk but useful enough to draw out the more valuable response you actually want.
Source Text
Read the original alongside the English rendering
Original Chinese
拋磚引玉
The Logic of the Offer
This stratagem is not generosity for its own sake. It is a controlled opening move. The brick is expendable; the jade is what you are really trying to bring into the open.
Why It Works
People and institutions often reveal more in response to an offer than under direct pressure. The modest gift, concession, or sample can start an exchange whose true value lies in what it draws out.
Strategic Logic
- Choose something you can afford to offer
- Ensure it is attractive enough to produce response
- Use the response to obtain something more valuable
- Keep the exchange structured in your favor
Key Takeaways
- A small offer can trigger a more valuable response
- The real target is often information, access, or commitment
- The brick must be cheap enough to risk and meaningful enough to matter
- Exchange can reveal what pressure alone would not reveal
Next: Stratagem 18 — Capture the Ringleader to Catch the Gang →
Keep Reading the 36 Stratagems
Move from one tactic to the wider system
If this stratagem landed, zoom out into the larger strategy map or continue with nearby high-signal entries.
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Written by
Lee
Lee explains Chinese philosophy, strategy, and stories in plain English — for people who want ancient wisdom they can actually use. Based in China, writing for the world.
More about Lee →Seasonal Context
Wisdom works better when you know what to do with it
This article is part of The Way of Nature, a living system that connects ancient insight to seasonal practice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why offer anything first?
What makes the brick effective?
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