Sun Tzu: Trending quotes

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Sun Tzu: 136   quotes 333   likes

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”

Sun Tzu

Disputed

People , Waiting

“When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter V · Forces

Water , Time

“In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter IX · Movement and Development of Troops

War

“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.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter VIII · Variations and Adaptability

War , Art , Chance

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Sun Tzu

Probably apocryphal. This quotation does not appear in any print translation of Sun Tzu. The first citation in Google Books is from 2002; no citation in Google Books occurs in a translation of Sun Tzu.
Misattributed

Victory

“What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter II · Waging War

War , Victory

“Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter I · Detail Assessment and Planning

“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. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.”

Sun Tzu

Variant translations
It is best to keep one’s own state intact; to crush the enemy’s state is only second best.
Source: The Art of War, Chapter III · Strategic Attack

War , Art , Country

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

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter III · Strategic Attack

Waiting , Victory

“If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.”

Sun Tzu book The Art of War

The Art of War, Chapter X · Terrain
Context: If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.

“If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.”

Sun Tzu book The Art of War

(zh-TW) 將弱不嚴，敎道不明，將之過也。
The Art of War, Chapter X · Terrain

“It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”

Sun Tzu

Variant translations
If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.
Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know yourself but not your enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know not thy enemy nor yourself, wallow in defeat every time.
Literal translation: Know [the] other, know [the] self, hundred battles without danger; not knowing [the] other but know [the] self, one win one loss; not knowing [the] other, not knowing [the] self, every battle must [be] lost.
Source: The Art of War, Chapter III · Strategic Attack

“Sunzi said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.”

Sun Tzu

Translation by Lionel Giles
Source: The Art of War, Chapter IV · Disposition of the Army

Waiting

“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”

Sun Tzu

This has appeared as a variant of Sun Tzu's assertion to "leave a way of escape." Tu Mu, commenting on Sun Tzu, advises, "Show him there is a road to safety..." Ch. 7; it has also recently appeared on the internet attributed to Scipio Africanus, but without citation.
Disputed

“The art of war is of vital importance to the State.”

Sun Tzu book The Art of War

The Art of War, Chapter I · Detail Assessment and Planning
Context: 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.

War , Art

“Sweat more during peace; bleed less during war.”

Sun Tzu book The Art of War

Source: The Art of War (Umění války)

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

Sun Tzu

Variant: 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.
Source: The Art of War, Chapter IV · Disposition of the Army

War , Victory

“It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to divide them; if equal, engage them; if fewer, defend against them; if weaker, be able to avoid them.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter III · Strategic Attack

War , Time

“To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter VII · Military Maneuvers

Way