Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy.
Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.
Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.
A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.
Invincibility lies in the defence the possibility of victory in the attack.
There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;(4) a...
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
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.
Every battle is won before it is fought.
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 combinationthey p...
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.
He who advances without seeking fame,Who retreats without escaping blame,He whose one aim is to protect his people and serve his lord,The man is a jewel of the Realm
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind.
If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arro...
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...
There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.
Be where your enemy is not.
Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.