Quotes

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
-Sun Tzu

It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to divide them; if equal,engage them; if fewer, be able to evade them; if weaker, be able to avoid them.
-Sun Tzu

The more you read and learn, the less your adversary will know.
-Sun Tzu

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
-Sun Tzu

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

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
-Sun Tzu

Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.
-Sun Tzu

Too frequent rewards indicate that the general is at the end of his resources; too frequent punishments that he is in acute distress.
-Sun Tzu

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
-Sun Tzu

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.
-Sun Tzu

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.
-Sun Tzu

What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.
-Sun Tzu

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

When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.
-Sun Tzu

The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities... It is best to win without fighting.
-Sun Tzu

The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.
-Sun Tzu

A leader leads by example not by force.
-Sun Tzu

The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.
-Sun Tzu

If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.
-Sun Tzu

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
-Sun Tzu

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness.
-Sun Tzu

Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.
-Sun Tzu

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

To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.
-Sun Tzu

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
-Sun Tzu

Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise the wealth of the people is exhausted.
-Sun Tzu

Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know yourself but not your enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know thy enemy but not yourself, wallow in defeat every time.
-Sun Tzu

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

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.
-Sun Tzu

He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.
-Sun Tzu

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

Management of many is the same as management of few. It is a matter of organization.
-Sun Tzu

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.
-Sun Tzu

There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.
-Sun Tzu