Sun Tzu Quotes

Agitate him and ascertain the pattern of his movement.

Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.

To ... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.

A wise general makes a point of foraging of the enemy.

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.

He who knows things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated.

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

Humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat.

the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.

In warfare, there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent will succeed and win.

Quickness is the essence of the war.

One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant.

Against those skilled in attack, an enemy does not know where to defend; against the experts in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack.

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

Those who would wage war, should first eliminate all domestic enemies before proceeding to attack the external foe.

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.

In the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

Factors in the art of warfare are: First, calculations; second, quantities; third, logistics; fourth, the balance of power; and fifth, the possibility of victory is based on the balance of power.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

Should one ask: 'how do I cope with a well-ordered enemy host about to attack me?' I reply: seize something he cherishes and he will conform to your desires.

A sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right man, should place the responsibility on him, and expect results.

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost

If you follow the enemy's shifts and changes, you can always find a way to win.

Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve.

He who is not sage and wise, humane and just, cannot use secret agent.s. And he who is not delicate and subtle cannot get the truth out of them.

You cannot know if you will be successful or not. You can only prepare for battle and it must be done with all of your heart and with all of your consciousness. In that manner, you will have an edge.

To Subdue an enemy without fighting is the greatest of skills

If you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if you cling to your corner

Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight.

Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy.

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

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

In desperate position, you must fight.

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

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands

When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.

To plan secretly, to move surreptitiously, to foil the enemy's intentions and balk his schemes, so that at last the day may be won without shedding a drop of blood.

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

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

Great results, can be achieved with small forces.

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

What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

An army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.

If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.