The Art of War Quotes

“The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“There are three avenues of opportunity: events, trends, and conditions. When opportunities occur through events but you are unable to respond, you are not smart. When opportunities become active through a trend and yet you cannot make plans, you are not wise. When opportunities emerge through conditions but you cannot act on them, you are not bold.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries

“The only chance of life lies in giving up all hope of it.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house. My elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his name does not get out of the neighborhood. As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“provisions”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“expenditure”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“siege”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“[T]o fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all.”
― Dallas Galvin, The Art of War

“Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“prohibit omens altogether. You can best predict your future by controlling it yourself, not by trusting luck or fate to control it.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Solving large, difficult problems may earn you a reputation for skillful negotiation, but Sun Tzu asserts that this supposed achievement is actually a form of failure, and having true wisdom means preventing difficult problems from arising in the first place. Ironically,”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Know the enemy, know yourself and victory is never in doubt, not in a hundred battles.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“One cat at the hole, and ten thousand mice dare not come out; one tiger in the valley, and ten thousand deer cannot pass through.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries

“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries

“The secret of getting successful work out of your trained men lies in one nutshell—in the clearness of the instructions they receive.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“to blame.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Hence”
― Ralph D. Sawyer, The Art of War

“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.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Military formation is like water—the form of water is to avoid the high and go to the low, the form of a military force is to avoid the full and attack the empty; the flow of water is determined by the earth, the victory of a military force is determined by the opponent.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries

“So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries

“5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

Excerpt From: Sunzi. “The Art of War.” iBooks.
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― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small. The most difficult things in the world must be done while they are still easy, the greatest things in the world must be done while they are still small. For this reason sages never do what is great, and this is why they can achieve that greatness.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries