Sun Tzu Quotes: Sun Tzu’s words emphasize the importance of understanding oneself, knowing the enemy, and desiring victory through intelligence and strategic maneuvering rather than brute force. Sun Tzu’s quotes emphasize the power of preparation, grabbing opportunities, and employing tactics that go beyond direct conflict.
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Quotes by Sun Tzu
- “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
- “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
- “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
- “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
- “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.”
- “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
- “The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.”
- “The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.”
- “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 art of war quotes
- “All warfare is based on deception.”
- “The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.”
- “The wise general never fights a battle on the unfavorable ground.”
- “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”
- “A leader leads by example, not by force.”
- “If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.”
- “A skilled commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand it of his subordinates.”
- “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.”
Quotes by Sun Tzu
- “Move swift as the Wind and closely formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.”
- “Speed is the essence of war.”
- “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.”
- “Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.”
- “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.”
- “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”
- “Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.”
- “In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.”
- “Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
Quotes from the art of war by Sun Tzu
- “If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.”
- “Those who win every battle are not skillful – those who render others’ armies helpless without fighting are the best of all.”
- “To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
- “Opportunities multiply when seized.”
- “There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.”
- “He who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; he who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish.”
- “Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”
- “The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterward looks for victory.”
Sun Tzu the art of war quotes
- “When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.”
- “The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon, which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.”
- “Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.”
- “Move swiftly like a gust of wind and closely formed as the wood.”
- “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.”
- “The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.”
- These quotes provide a glimpse into Sun Tzu’s strategic wisdom and timeless teachings on warfare and leadership.
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