Quotes by Sun Tzu

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

"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."

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death."

"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

"It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results."

"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious."

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."

"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack."

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."

"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."

"There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited."

"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."

"Quickness is the essence of the war."

"The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."

"In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good."

"Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared."