Sun Tzu Quotes – Wisdom from the Art of War

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

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.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

The best strategy is always to be very strong first, so that others will not dare attack you.

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

The wise warrior avoids the battle, but will engage if necessary.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

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

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

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

To secure peace is to prepare for war.

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.

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.

Sun Tzu Quotes – Wisdom from the Art of War part 2

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

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.

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.

Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

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

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

If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.

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

If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.

The opportunity is often lost by deliberating.

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought.

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

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

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.

The skillful warrior confronts the enemy without a plan, but achieves victory through careful planning.

Know your enemy, know his sword. Know yourself, know your worth.

The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

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

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbids it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.

Great results, can be achieved with small forces.

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

When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.