Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu
Sun Tzuwas a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a widely influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and Eastern philosophy. Aside from his legacy as the author of The Art of War, Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and Asian culture as a legendary historical figure. His birth name was Sun Wu,...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryChina
warrior opponents defense
You can prevent your opponent from defeating you through defense, but you cannot defeat him without taking the offensive.
art war moving
Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
art war arrogant
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
art war army
An army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.
art-of-war army decisions-you-make
The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.
art-of-war army organization
Management of many is the same as management of few. It is a matter of organization.
strong military war
So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.
country art war
There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefitted.
business men victory
The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.
art clever war
The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
order energy weakness
Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy; masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions.
art war self
It is the business of a general to be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled.
business art-of-war winning
The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
art war men
Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity; (2) They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straight forwardness; (3) Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports; (4) Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of warfare; (5) If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told.