Sun Tzu (544 BC - 496 BC) was a Chinese general, military strategist and philosopher who lived in the spring and autumn period of ancient China. He is considered the author of The Art of War, a highly influential work of military strategy that has affected western and eastern philosophy.
Then I leave you his best phrases. You may also be interested in these phrases about war.
-The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
-If you know the enemy and yourself, you should not fear the result of a hundred battles.
-Tires enemies by keeping them busy and not letting them breathe.
-Disorder comes from order, cowardice comes from courage, weakness springs from strength.
-Weapons are fatal instruments that should only be used when there is no alternative..
-If you make the adversaries not know the place and date of the battle, you can always win.
-If the instructions are not clear and the explanations and orders are not trusted, the fault lies with the general.
-Only when you know every detail of the terrain condition can you maneuver and fight.
-Appears inferiority and stimulates their arrogance.
-The general encompasses the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and being strict..
-You should never attack with anger and in a hurry. It is advisable to take time in planning and coordinating the plan.
-Defense is for times of scarcity, attack for times of plenty.
-The opportunity to insure against defeat is in our own hands, but the opportunity to defeat the enemy is provided by himself..
-Maneuvering with an army is advantageous. Maneuvering with an undisciplined crowd is dangerous.
-Let the speed be that of the wind, and be compact like a forest.
-The intelligent combatant imposes his will on his enemy, but does not allow the will of his enemy to be imposed on him..
-He who knows when he can fly and when he cannot, will be victorious.
-Speed is the essence of war.
-Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without a disaster..
-There is no example of a nation that benefits from prolonged war.
-Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formless. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of no sound. In this way you can be the director of your opponent's destiny.
-Victorious warriors first win and then go to war, while defeated warriors first go to war and then seek to win.
-I have heard of military operations that have been clumsy and sudden, but I have never seen an expert in the art of war who maintained the campaign for long..
-Consider your soldiers as your children and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look at them as your own beloved children and they will be by your side even in death.
-Fighting and conquering in all battles is not the supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
-Every man can see the tactics I use where I conquer, but what no one can see is the strategy that surrounds victory..
-In order to defeat the enemy, the entire military command must have a single intention and all military forces must cooperate..
-Prohibit omens to avoid doubts.
-Winning a hundred times in a hundred battles is not the height of skill. Subdue the enemy without fighting is the apogee of the skill.
-Invincibility lies in defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.
-If you are far from the enemy, make him believe that you are close.
-He who is prudent and is waiting for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.
-You can win when no one can understand at any time what your intentions are.
-Confront them with annihilation and they will survive; plunge them into a deadly situation and they will live. When people are in danger, they are able to fight for victory..
-The general who wins the battle does a lot of calculations before fighting. The general who loses makes few calculations.
-The worst tactic is to attack a city. Besieging, cornering a city is only carried out as a last resort.
-In the practical art of war, the best of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; smash it and destroy it ain't so good.
-The good fighters of yesteryear first put themselves under the possibility of being defeated and then wait for an opportunity to defeat the enemy..
-Therefore, what is of paramount importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy..
-The quality of the decision is like a hawk's raid in good time, allowing it to attack and destroy its victim..
-When orders are reasonable, fair, simple, clear and consistent, there is mutual satisfaction between the leader and the group.
-Whoever arrives first on the battlefield waits fresh for the arrival of the enemy to fight. Those who arrive late to the battlefield have to hurry and arrive exhausted to combat.
-It is essential to seek out the agents of the enemies who have come to spy on you and bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and take care of them. So twice as many agents are recruited and used.
-If both you and your enemy are ignorant, then you are in certain danger..
-You can't get the truth from spies without subtlety.
-If fighting ensures victory, then you must fight, even if the governor forbids it; if the fight does not ensure victory, then you must not fight even by order of the ruler.
-The general who advances without coveting fame and retires without fear of misfortune, whose only thought is to protect his country and give a good service to his sovereigns, is the jewel of the kingdom..
-There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.
-Make adversaries see as extraordinary what is ordinary to you; make what is extraordinary to you see as ordinary.
-If we know that our own men are in a position to attack, but are not aware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have only come half way to victory..
-Only enlightened rulers and wise generals use the army's greatest intelligence to spy, and thus achieve great results..
-Secret operations are essential in war; through them the army is based to make all its movements.
-In order for them to perceive the benefits of defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.
-If our soldiers are not covered in money, it is not because they detest wealth; If their lives are not excessively long, it is not because they do not feel inclined towards longevity..
-When hostages are sent with praise, it is a sign that the enemy wants a truce..
-The enlightened ruler is attentive and the good general is full of caution.
-Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
-In fear of chaos there is also opportunity.
-Worry about people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
-Let your plans be dark and impenetrable like the night, and when you make your move, strike like lightning.
-All war is deception.
-Who wants to fight must first know the cost.
-If your enemy is of a wrathful temper, seek to irritate him. He pretends to be weak, so that he grows in arrogance.
-To know your enemy you must become his friend.
-Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
-You can make sure that your attacks always hit if you only attack the unprotected points.
-He who can modify his tactics according to his opponent and thus achieve victory, may be called captain born of the horn of heaven..
-Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all that I can?
-Strategy without tactics is the slowest path to victory. Tactics without strategy is the sound that precedes defeat.
-A leader leads by example, not strength.
-In numerical superiority is the economy of force.
-Victory is reserved for those willing to pay its price.
-People should be familiar with the strategy, those who understand it will survive, those who will not perish.
-In times of peace prepare for war, in times of war prepare for peace.
-The wisest warrior avoids confrontation.
-Attack when they are not ready, show yourself when you are not expected.
-A scout can be fast like the wind, a spy can be silent like the forest, and infantry steady like the mountain. But unlike them, I conquer with fire.
-Don't depend on the enemy not showing up, rather depend on being prepared for him..
-When ordinary soldiers are very strong and their officers very weak, the result is insubordination..
-If you know your enemy better than you know yourself, the outcome of the battle is already decided..
-What the ancients call a cunning fighter is one who not only wins, but stands out for winning with simplicity.
-He who knows does not preach, he who preaches does not know.
-Even the finest of swords dipped in salt water will eventually rust.
-When the enemy is relaxed, make him exert himself. When he's satiated, make him hungry. When it's settled make it move.
-If you wait in front of the river long enough, the corpses of your enemy will pass in front of you.
-One can know how to conquer without being able to do it.
-A trait of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or does not fight..
-Convince your enemy that they will gain little if they attack you, this will decrease their interest.
-The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they turn well.
-One can know the condition of an entire army by the behavior of a single man.
-There are no more than five primary colors, yet when combined they produce more hues than have ever been seen..
-The art of war is of vital importance to the state.
-There are no more than five musical notes, however combinations of these five result in more melodies than can be heard.
-Order or disorder depends on the organization; courage or cowardice of the circumstances; strength or weakness of the disposition.
-You can secure the position of your defenses if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
-If you send reinforcements everywhere, you will be weak everywhere.
-Great results can be achieved with little effort.
-Invisible is the soldier who fulfills his mission and returns home.
-The true goal of war is peace
-Control over large forces is governed by the same principle as controlling a few men: it is a mere matter of dividing their numbers.
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