Quotes from Sun Tzu

For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.

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

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

Quickness is the essence of the war.

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.

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

There are routes not to be followed, armies not to be attacked, citadels not to be besieged, territory not to be fought over.

Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.

Who can determine where one ends and the other begins?

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

The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.

Balk the enemy's power; force him to reveal himself.

Weak leadership can wreck the soundest strategy

Weak leadership can wreck the soundest strategy; forceful execution of even a poor plan can often bring victory.

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

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

There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.

War is a matter of vital importance to the state; the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied.

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Winning isn't enough. The acme of all skill is to defeat your enemy before taking the field.

Order or disorder depends on organisation and direction; courage or cowardice on circumstances; strength or weakness on tactical dispositions.

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.

In warfare, first lay plans which will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin with stratagem but rely on brute strength alone, victory will no longer be assured.