After crossing a river, you should get far away from it. — Sun Tzu

After crossing a river, you should get far away from it.

Author: Sun Tzu

Insight: There's a practical military wisdom here, but it cuts deeper than tactics. Sun Tzu understood something about momentum and closure: once you've made a major move, lingering near the point of transition leaves you vulnerable. You're caught between worlds—no longer committed to where you came from, but not yet fully established in the new territory. Most of us experience this in smaller ways. You quit a job but keep running into former colleagues at the same coffee shop. You end a relationship but maintain the same friend group and routines, constantly brushing against the past. You start a new project but keep one foot in the old one, unable to fully commit. The river crossing is easy compared to what comes after: the psychological distance you need to build to make the change real. The insight isn't just about geography or even decision-making—it's about respecting your own momentum. When you've made the hard choice to cross over, moving far from the riverbank isn't cruel to your past self. It's honest recognition that you can't fully inhabit the new while clinging to the old. Sometimes growth requires not just brave choices, but brave distances.