Sun Tzu Quotes And Sayings

by allinspiration.com

Here is a collation of Sun Tzu quotes and sayings. Sun Tzu, or Sunzi, was a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher during the Zhou dynasty’s Spring and Autumn Period. Learn about his art of war.

“A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”
– Sun Tzu

“A leader leads by example not by force.”
– Sun Tzu

“A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.”
– Sun Tzu

“A skilled commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand it of his subordinates.”
– Sun Tzu

“A wise general makes a point of foraging of the enemy.”
– Sun Tzu

“According to my assessment, even if you have many more troops than others, how can that help you to victory?”
– Sun Tzu

“All is fair in love and war.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“All war is based on deception.”
– Sun Tzu

“All war is deception.”
– Sun Tzu

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
– Sun Tzu

“All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him.”
– Sun Tzu

“And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.”
– Sun Tzu

“Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”
– Sun Tzu

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
– Sun Tzu

“Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“Bestow rewards without respect to customary practice; publish orders without respect to precedent. Thus you may employ the entire army as you would one man.”
– Sun Tzu

“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
– Sun Tzu

“But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.”
– Sun Tzu

“Do not press an enemy at bay.”
– Sun Tzu

“Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.”
– Sun Tzu

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”
– Sun Tzu

“Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.”
– Sun Tzu

“For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.”
– Sun Tzu

“He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.”
– Sun Tzu

“He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.”
– Sun Tzu

“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
– Sun Tzu

“He will win whose army is animated by the spirit throughout all its ranks.”
– Sun Tzu

“Hence a commander who advances without any thought of winning personal fame and withdraws in spite of certain punishment, whose only concern is to protect his people and promote the interests of his ruler, is the nation’s treasure. Because he fusses over his men as if they were infants, they will accompany him into the deepest valleys; because he fusses over his men as if they were his own beloved sons, they will die by his side. If he is generous with them and yet they do not do as he tells them, if he loves them and yet they do not obey his commands, if he is so undisciplined with them that he cannot bring them into proper order, they will be like spoiled children who can be put to no good use at all.”
– Sun Tzu

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