Sun Tzu Quotes

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Intelligence, Army, Results, Will)

"Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Army)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Death, Children, Soldiers, Sons, Will)

"Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Death, Calamity)

"Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Inferiority, Arrogance)

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
- Sun Tzu

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Army, Liberal)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Men, Enemy, Now, Reason)

"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Fear, Enemy, Results)

"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy, Self)

"The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Caution)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Care, Enemy)

"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Possibility, Victory, Lies)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Art, War, Country, Enemy)

"If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy)

"If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Defense)

"He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Fight, Will)

"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Disaster, Enemy, Fight)

"There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Country)

"You have to believe in yourself."
- Sun Tzu

"When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Compliments, Enemy, Wishes)

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, First)

"To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Victory, Excellence)

"To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy, Excellence, Fight, Fighting)

"Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Strategy, Enemy, Importance)

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Strategy, Victory, Defeat)

"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Nation)

"Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy, Excellence, Fighting)

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Art, War, Enemy, Fighting)

"The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Men, Man, Will)

"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Quality, Decision)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Opportunity, Defeat, Enemy, Lies)

"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Opportunity, Possibility, Defeat, Enemy, First, Old)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Temple, Battle, Calculations)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Thought, Country, Disgrace, Fame, Service)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Victory, Battle, Defeat, First)

"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy, Lies, Will)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy, Fighting, Skill)

"Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?"
- Sun Tzu

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: People, Victory, Danger, Will)

"All warfare is based on deception."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Deception)

"All war is deception."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Deception)

"All war is based on deception."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: War, Deception)

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Men, Strategy, Victory)

"For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Enemy)

"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."
- Sun Tzu
(Related: Fate)