Quotes from Sun Tzu

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

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a thousand battles you will never be in peril.

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

The greatest triumph is when the enemy surrenders without a fight.

A leader leads by example, not by force.

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

If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.

It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you.

Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of your enemy’s unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes.

Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like the fire and be still as the mountain.

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.

One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him.

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

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill; to subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.

Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.

Opportunities are multiplied as they are seized, and obstacles are multiplied as they are neglected.

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin.

When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.

Make your enemy believe you are far away when you are actually nearby.

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

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

By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy’s must be divided.

The quality of decision-making is like the well-planned maneuver. It is decisive and effective.

To fight and conquer is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

It is more important to outthink your enemy than to outfight them.

A wise leader avoids battles they cannot win.

The smart warrior knows when to wait and when to strike.

The best military strategy is one that ensures victory without loss.

Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak.

Strike at the roots when you aim at the trunk.

Do not interfere with an enemy that is in the process of destroying itself.

The reward of success is the pursuit of excellence.

The greatest challenge lies in overcoming oneself.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations beforehand.

To win without fighting is the ultimate victory.

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. They will fight to the death if you corner them.

Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.

Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows.

The wise warrior avoids the path of least resistance, for it leads to defeat.

When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit.

One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

When you are weak, be patient and bide your time, for fortune favors the prepared mind.