Sun Tzu
51 quotes
Biography
"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."
"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."
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."
"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
"Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust."
"But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life."
"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."
"You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked."
"You have to believe in yourself."
"兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。"
"兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近，"
"實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，出其不意，攻其不備。"
"夫未戰而廟算勝者，得算多也；未戰而廟算不勝者，得算少也。"
"將聽吾計，用之必勝，留之；將不聽吾計，用之必敗，去之；"
"知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必殆"
"故用兵之法，十則圍之，五則攻之，倍則分之， 敵則能戰之，少則能守之，不若則能避之。"
"是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也。"
"凡用兵之法，全國爲上；破國次之；全軍爲上，破軍次之；全旅爲上，破旅次之；全卒爲上，破卒次之；全伍爲上，破伍次之。"
"昔之善戰者，先爲不可勝，以待敵之可勝，不可勝在己，可勝在敵。故善戰者，能爲不可勝，不能使敵必可勝。故曰：勝可知，而不可爲。"
"是故勝兵先勝而後求戰，敗兵先戰而後求勝。"
"微乎微乎，至於無形；神乎神乎，至於無聲；故能為敵之司命。"
"人皆知我所以勝之形，而莫知吾所以制勝之形。"
"故形兵之極，至於無形，無形，則深間不能窺，上智不能謀。"
"故敵逸能勞之，飽能飢之，安能動之。出其所不趨，趨其所不意。"