Sun Tzu Quotes And Sayings

by allinspiration.com

“Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy’s fate.”
– Sun Tzu

“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
– Sun Tzu

“The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts.”
– Sun Tzu

“The Art of War is self-explanatory.”
– Sun Tzu

“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.”
– Sun Tzu

“The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities. It is best to win without fighting.”
– Sun Tzu

“The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.”
– Sun Tzu

“The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy. Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the utmost liberality.”
– Sun Tzu

“The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“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

“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

“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
– Sun Tzu

“The one who figures on victory at headquarters before even doing battle is the one who has the most strategic factors on his side.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“The proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause people‘s substance to be drained away. When their substance is drained away, they will be afflicted by heavy exaction. With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and their incomes dissipated.”
– Sun Tzu

“The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.”
– Sun Tzu

“The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.”
– Sun Tzu

“The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch’ang mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.”
– Sun Tzu

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
– Sun Tzu

“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.”
– Sun Tzu

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

“There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.”
– Sun Tzu

“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”
– Sun Tzu

“Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.”
– Sun Tzu

“Therefore one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful. Seizing the enemy without fighting is the most skillful.”
– Sun Tzu

“Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength.”
– Sun Tzu

“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

“Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.”
– Sun Tzu

“Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”
– Sun Tzu

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