710 Quotes by Sun Tzu

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands.

One need not destroy one’s enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy’s plans, the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces, the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field, and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.

Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. And if it is unavoidable and you do have to engage, then make sure you engage it on your terms, not on your enemy’s terms.

If you follow the enemy’s shifts and changes, you can always find a way to win.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

It is more important to outhink your enemy, than to outfight him.