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
art war difficult
Nothing is more difficult than the art of maneuvering for advantageous positions.
art war size
Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.
art war army
Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, 1 but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganisation; (6) rout.
war fighting winning
So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious.
art war way
These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.
war men numbers
The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.
country art war
The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.
war enlightened caution
The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.
war victory battle
The one who figures on victory at headquarters before even doing battle is the one who has the most strategic factors on his side.
art war loss
Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.
art war men
If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
art war lost
If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is death.
art war fighting
When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become, as it were, like rolling logs or stones... The energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height.
art war goal
There is nothing more difficult than tactical maneuvering. The difficult consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.