55 Best Sun Tzu’s Quotes (The Art of War): Sun Tzu was a Chinese philosopher, writer and military strategist. He is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War.
His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself.
The Art of War is an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian Philosophy and military thinking.
Today, In this article, we’ll explore 55 best quotes of Sun Tzu. Here is the list of 55 best sun tzu’s quotes.
Sun Tzu Best Quotes (Men Learn Too Late in Life)
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
“To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.”
“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”
“Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.”
“Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like a fire and be still as the mountain.”
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.”
“When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.”
Most Famous Quotes by Sun Tzu
“Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.”
“If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.”
“Know yourself and you will win all battles.”
“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.”
“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
“Be extremely subtle even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.”
“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.”
“What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.”
“Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.”
“You have to believe in yourself.”
“If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.”
“Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.”
“Attack is the secret of defense, defense is the planning of an attack.”
Sun Tzu’s Ancient Life Lessons Men Learn Too Late in Life
“Great results can be achieved with small forces.”
“Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.”
“If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is ‘death’.”
“Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.”
“If you ignore both: your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.”
“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.”
“Wheels of justice grind slow but grind fine.”
“It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.”
“If his forces are united, separate them.”
“You can’t trust a man, who has nothing to lose.”
“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.”
“If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will be weak everywhere.”
“Be where your enemy is not.”
“An enemy is a friend who knows too much about you.”
“Disorder came from order, fear came from courage, weakness came from strength.”
Chinese Philosopher Sun Tzu’s Famous Quotes
“If your friend is friends with your enemy, it means that you should not hang out with this friend.”
“Beware of sugar that is mixed with poison, beware of the fly that sat on a dead snake.”
“Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.”
“Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.”
“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys, look on them as your own beloved sons.”
“A leader leads by example not by force.”
“He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.”
“In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.”
“Strategies without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is noise before defeat.”
“The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.”
“One need not destroy one’s enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage.”
“Every animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head will fight when it is attacked.”
“Never trust a friend who is silent about your flaws.”
“The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
Interesting Facts About Sun Tzu
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