Sun Tzu Quotes about Art

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

If a battle can not be won do not fight it.

Great results, can be achieved with small forces.

Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.

Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.

Be where your enemy is not.

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. And if it is unavoidable and you do have to engage, then make sure you engage it on your terms, not on your enemy's terms.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.

These are the six ways of courting defeat - neglect to estimate the enemy's strength; want of authority; defective training; unjustifiable anger; nonobservance of discipline; failure to use picked men.

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.

If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are.

Don't flail against the world, use it. Flexibility is the operative principle in the art of war.

If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honour, which is sensitive to shame; over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

When I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.