710 Quotes by Sun Tzu

Without a full understanding of the harm caused by war, it is impossible to understand the most profitable way of conducting it

All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved

Understand both yourself and your enemy, and you shall always emerge victorious

Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory is won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

The wise general in his deliberations must consider both favorable and unfavorable factors. He ponders the dangers inherent in the advantages, and the advantages inherent in the dangers.By taking into account the favorable factors, he makes his plan feasible; by taking into account the unfavorable, he may resolve the difficulties. Advantage and disadvantage are mutually reproductive. The enlightened deliberate.

If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.

A common mistake is to consider planning as only a mental process, an idea in our head that simply looks at the past and adjusts for the future. If your plan is not in writing, you do not have a plan at all. Instead, you have only a dream, a vision, or perhaps even a nightmare.