There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

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

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

Momentum in engaging with stakeholders arises from nothing more than the expected and the surprising, yet combining them form more ways than can ever be known. Each brings on the other, like an infinite cycle. Who can exhaust all possibilities?

The art of war is the art of deception.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

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.

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. This material may be protected by copyright.