Sun Tzu Quotes - Page 11

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

It is through the dispositions of an army that its condition may be discovered. Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory,; show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat.

There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.

Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food.

The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not be swayed by petty doubts.

Invincibility is in oneself, and vulnerability is in the opponent. Invincibility is a matter of defense, vulnerability is a matter of attack. Therefore skillful warriors are able to be invincible, but they cannot cause opponents to be vulnerable. That is why it is said that victory is discerned and not manufactured.

Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient.

When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

The Art of War is self-explanatory

If an enemy has alliances, the problem is grave and the enemy's position strong; if he has no alliances, the problem is minor and the enemy's position weak.

Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future. Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.

Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and you know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you now Heaven and you know Earth, you may make your victory complete.

If their forces are substantial, prepare for them; if their forces are strong, avoid them.

Quickness is the essence of the war.

Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling.

The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy. Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the utmost liberality.

One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.

Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.

A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.

If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need to do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.