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"53 Sun Tzu Quotes & Sayings

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Born: 545 BC. Died: 470 BC | Philosopher | Soldier | Writer |

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

War Receive Position Enemy
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If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.

Battles Enemy Fear Hundred
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Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

Beloved Children Death Deepest
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To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Battles Breaking Conquer Consists
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Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.
Attack Enemy Importance Strategy
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All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

Conquer Evolved Men None
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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.

Advances Country Disgrace Fame
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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.

Director Even Extremely Fate
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A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.
Benevolent Commander Fame Good
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He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

Fight He Knows Who
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Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and you know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and you know Earth, you may make your victory complete.

Complete Doubt Earth Enemy
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If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.
Believe Enemy Far Him
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Quickness is the essence of the war.

Essence Quickness War Smart
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There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.

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

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

After Afterwards Battle Been
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The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

Battle Before Beforehand Calculations
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Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge.

Achievements Conquer Enemy Enlightened
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Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

Arrogance Encourage His Inferiority
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For 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.

Battles Enemy Fighting Hundred
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Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.

Agent Agents Army Close
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It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used.

Against Agents Bribe Care
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Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

Army Essential Every Make
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If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.

Because Distaste Lives Long
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The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Decision Destroy Enables Falcon
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To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.

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

Compliments Enemy Mouths Sent
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The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
Art Art Of War Enemy Fighting
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He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.

Cannot Fight He Knows
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The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.

Caution Enlightened Full General
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Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

Battles Enemy Know Self
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There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.

Been Country Never Protracted
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Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.

Attack Defence Lies Possibility
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If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.
Both Certain Enemy Ignorant
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He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

Enemy He Lies Prudent
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Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Breaking Consists Enemy Excellence
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Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.

Battles Disaster Enemy Fight
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For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.

Advantage Also Defeating Enemy
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Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

Defeated First Go Seek
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Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

Away Calamity Death Doubts
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In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

Art Art Of War Best Country
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The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Against Defeat Defeating Enemy
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Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

Attack Defend Defense Does
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It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

Achieve Army Enlightened General
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Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.

Able Annihilation Confront Danger
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If fighting is sure to result in victory, than you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.

Bidding Even Fight Fighting
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If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

Attack Condition Enemy Gone
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He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
Both Forces Handle He
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He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

Animated Army He Ranks
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Victory usually goes to the army who has better trained officers and men.

Army Better Goes Men
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Sun Tzu Quotes & Sayings