The Two Chieftains

Two chieftains claimed the same valley. Neither would negotiate. Both marched their armies to the border.

Each thought: “If I show weakness, he takes the valley. If I stand firm and he backs down, I win. If neither backs down...” Neither wanted to finish that thought.

The first chieftain tried a dangerous gambit. He burned his own bridges — literally. His army could no longer retreat. He sent a messenger: “I cannot back down even if I wanted to.”

The second chieftain, seeing no path to a painless victory, withdrew.

The first chieftain won by eliminating his own option to be rational. He had made his threat credible by making retreat impossible.