Exactly, a general doesn't go into battling without scouting his opponent. He doesn't just think, "I have 53 of the best men....well, two are wounded, and 8 are complete morons, but we will win. And nobody is allowed to tell me otherwise." A general will find out what his opponent is so that he can find out what he needs to successfully achieve his objective. Thus, by pointing out an area of weakness or something the opponent has as a strength, then the general can get an idea of what he needs to beat his opponent.