Grognard capture, Hegelian dialectic, onions in the varnish and Sidneying

The first in an occasional series discussing ideas and concepts that (in my totally unhumble opinion) everyone should know. We'll kick off with an idea from the world of historical wargaming, an idea from 19th Century German philosophy, an idea that comes from varnish manufacture via programming language design, and an idea from a touring Cornish children's play of the mid-1980s.

( Grognard capture )

( Hegelian dialectic )

( Onions in the varnish )

( Sidneying )

My justification for this post is the one the Design Patterns guys use: by giving names to fairly common things, you make it easier to recognize them and to discuss them. Grognard capture, in particular, can be a Bad Thing (though it isn't always), and recognizing it is the first step to dealing with it.