The Art of War

by Sun Tzu

“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual warfare.”

Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. 22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

“He who wishes to fight must first count the cost,”

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged

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

the general should not be in the thick of his own troops, but a little distance apart. Otherwise, he will be liable to misjudge the position as a whole, and give wrong orders.]

“Humanity and justice are the principles on which to govern a state, but not an army; opportunism and flexibility, on the other hand, are military rather than civil virtues to assimilate the governing of an army”—

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

‘With a superior force, make for easy ground; with an inferior one, make for difficult ground.’"]

Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

“Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.” He adds: “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” It would be hard to find a better epitome of the root-principle of war.]

Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory,; show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat.”

“the thing is to see the plant before it has germinated,” to foresee the event before the action has begun.

“He who only sees the obvious, wins his battles with difficulty; he who looks below the surface of things, wins with ease.”]

He wins his battles by making no mistakes.

There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.

There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.

There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack—the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.

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

In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; [The piquancy of the paradox evaporates in translation. Concealment is perhaps not so much actual invisibility (see supra ss. 9) as “showing no sign” of what you mean to do, of the plans that are formed in your brain.]

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;

cowardice, which leads to capture;

a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;

a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;

over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.