Sun Tzu is famous for his ability to win battles and wars without fighting. His strategy to defeat an enemy is to build his tactics on the psychology and human weaknesses rather than pure and hard violence. The Art Of War is still today used in many field, including business. We gonna see some of his best quotes that you can apply for your next strategy!
THE ART OF WAR QUOTES
A leader leads by example, not by force. — Sun Tzu
Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy. — Sun Tzu
Opportunities multiply as they are seized. — Sun Tzu
Know yourself and you will win all battles. — Sun Tzu
Ponder and deliberate before you make a move. — Sun Tzu
Who wishes to fight must first count the cost. — Sun Tzu
Sweat more during peace: bleed less during war. — Sun Tzu
To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy. — Sun Tzu
Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength. — Sun Tzu
Great results, can be achieved with small forces. — Sun Tzu
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. — Sun Tzu
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. — Sun Tzu
Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer. — Sun Tzu
The art of war is of vital importance to the State. — Sun Tzu
Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. — Sun Tzu
Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems. — Sun Tzu
A wise general makes a point of foraging of the enemy. — Sun Tzu
The line between disorder and order lies in logistics. — Sun Tzu
Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across. — Sun Tzu
One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. — Sun Tzu
The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. — Sun Tzu
STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP
Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?. — Sun Tzu
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. — Sun Tzu
If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near. — Sun Tzu
Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. — Sun Tzu
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. (2). — Sun Tzu
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. — Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. — Sun Tzu
Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits. — Sun Tzu
If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak. — Sun Tzu
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. — Sun Tzu
Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him. — Sun Tzu
It is more important to out-think your enemy, than to outfight him. — Sun Tzu
One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. „ Sun Tzu.
War is like a fireif you do not put it out, it will burn itself out. — Sun Tzu
There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare. — Sun Tzu
He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. — Sun Tzu
Attack is the secret of defense, defense is the planning of an attack. — Sun Tzu
He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. — Sun Tzu
The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. — Sun Tzu
Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. — Sun Tzu
Those skilled in warfare move the enemy, and are not moved by the enemy. — Sun Tzu
If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things. — Sun Tzu
Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men. — Ralph D. Sawyer
So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak. — Sun Tzu
WILLPOWER AND SUCCESS
The Way means inducing the people to have the same aim as the leadership,. — Sun Tzu
Attack is the secret of defense, defense is the planning of an attack. It. — Sun Tzu
Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest. — Ralph D. Sawyer
These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand. — Sun Tzu
When you start a fire, be to windward of it. Do not attack from the leeward. — Sun Tzu
Invincibility lies in the defence, the possibility of victory in the attack. — Sun Tzu
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. — Sun Tzu
One may know the condition of a whole army from the behavior of a single man. — Sun Tzu
The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary. — Sun Tzu
He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious. — Sun Tzu
He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. — Sun Tzu
If there is disturbance in the camp, the general’s authority is weak. „ Sun Tzu.
Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. — Sun Tzu
Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. — Sun Tzu
He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign. — Sun Tzu
One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all. — Dallas Galvin
I have heard that in war haste can be folly, but have never seen delay that was wise. — Sun Tzu
Go forth armed without determining strategy, and you will destroy yourself in battle. — Sun Tzu
So long as victory can be attained, stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness. — Sun Tzu
Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. — Sun Tzu
The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent. — Sun Tzu
TACTICS FOR BETTER BATTLES
When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. — Sun Tzu
Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat. — Sun Tzu
Every animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head will fight when it’s attacked. — Sun Tzu
We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors. — Sun Tzu
Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy’s purpose. — Sun Tzu
Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight, do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen. — Sun Tzu
When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE. — Sun Tzu
Maneuvering with an army is advantageous, with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous. — Sun Tzu
It is best to keep one’s own state intact, to crush the enemy’s state is only second best. — Sun Tzu
In a similar way, The Art of War pinpoints anger and greed as fundamental causes of defeat. — Sun Tzu
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. — Art Of War
Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness. — Sun Tzu
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. — Sun Tzu
If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. — Sun Tzu
You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. — Sun Tzu
For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards. — Sun Tzu
Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow, decision, to the releasing of the trigger. — Sun Tzu
In difficult ground, press on, In encircled ground, devise stratagems, In death ground, fight. — Sun Tzu
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. — Sun Tzu
Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. — Sun Tzu
When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. — Sun Tzu
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. — Sun Tzu
First, measurement, second, quantity, third, calculation, fourth, comparison, and fifth, victory. — Sun Tzu
These are: (1) The Moral Law, (2) Heaven, (3) Earth, (4) The Commander, (5) Method and discipline. — Sun Tzu
SUN TZU WISDOM
These are: (1) the Moral Law, (2) Heaven, (3) Earth, (4) the Commander, (5) method and discipline. — Sun Tzu
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. — Sun Tzu
Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength, attacking, a superabundance of strength. — Sun Tzu
When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. — Sun Tzu
When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION. — Sun Tzu
If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst. — Sun Tzu
What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. — Sun Tzu
Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.
When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it’s a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce. — Sun Tzu
Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you, this will diminish his enthusiasm. — Sun Tzu
Using order to deal with the disorderly, using calm to deal with the clamorous, is mastering the heart. — Sun Tzu
Some people think insufficiency means weakness and surplus means strength, but this impression is wrong. — Sun Tzu
Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like the fire and be still as the mountain. — Sun Tzu
If you will not begin with stratagem but rely on brute strength alone, victory will no longer be assured. — Sun Tzu
Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain. — 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 skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man. — Sun Tzu
Hence in the wise leader’s plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together. — Sun Tzu
One cat at the hole, and ten thousand mice dare not come out, one tiger in the valley, and ten thousand deer cannot pass through. — Sun Tzu
In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. — Sun Tzu
The secret of getting successful work out of your trained men lies in one nutshellin the clearness of the instructions they receive. — Sun Tzu
skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. [Once war is declared, he will. — Sun Tzu
Therefore, the skillful commander imposes his will on the enemy by making the enemy come to him instead of being brought to the enemy. — Sun Tzu
Conform to the enemy’s tactics until a favorable opportunity offers, then come forth and engage in a battle that shall prove decisive. — Sun Tzu
Conform to the enemy’s tactics until a favorable opportunity offers, then come forth and engage in a battle that shall prove decisive. — Sun Tzu
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on. — Sun Tzu
When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes, but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy. — Sun Tzu
Now by the laws of war, better than defeating a country by fire and the sword, is to take it without strife. — Sun Tzu
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. — Sun Tzu
MORE QUOTES
If the enemy know not where he will be attacked, he must prepare in every quarter, and so be everywhere weak. — Sun Tzu
A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound’s weight placed in the scale against a single grain. — Sun Tzu
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays. — Sun Tzu
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. — Sun Tzu
There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. — Sun Tzu
To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy’s numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence. — Sun Tzu
Victory in war is apparent to all, but the science of ensuring victory is a mysterious secret, generally unknown. — Sun Tzu
If you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life, whereas death is certain if you cling to your corner. — Sun Tzu
There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted. — 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
All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. — Sun Tzu
If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame. — Sun Tzu
Soldiers must be first treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. — Sun Tzu
Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind. — 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
Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him. — Sun Tzu
Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him. — Sun Tzu
On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. — Sun Tzu
The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming. — 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
Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage, simulated weakness postulates strength. — Sun Tzu
When you go out the door, be as if you were seeing an enemy. And Shi Li said,Be prepared, and you will not be defeated. When. — Sun Tzu
The victorious army is victorious first and seeks battle later, the defeated army seeks battle first and seeks victory later. — Sun Tzu
A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit’s keen, but attacks it when it’s sluggish and inclined to return. — Sun Tzu
EARTH comprises distances, great and small, danger and security, open ground and narrow passes, the chances of life and death. — Sun Tzu
Those who win every battle are not really skillfulthose who render others’ armies helpless without fighting are the best of all. — 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. — Sun Tzu
Stir opponents up, making them respond to you, then you can observe their forms of behavior, and whether they are orderly or confused. — Sun Tzu
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
Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots. — Sun Tzu
Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances. — Sun Tzu
When Sun Tzu spoke of victory, this is what he meant the prevention or quick resolution of conflict, not the conquering of your opponent. — Sun Tzu
No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen, no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. — Sun Tzu
Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances. — Ralph D. Sawyer
The consummate leader cultivates the Moral Law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline, thus it’s in his power to control success. — Ralph D. Sawyer
The host thus forming a single united body, is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. — Sun Tzu
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