Sun Tzu: Quotes about victory

“All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”

Sun Tzu

人皆知我所以勝之形，而莫知吾所以制勝之形。
Source: The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths

Men , Victory

“He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.”

Sun Tzu

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

Victory , Fight

“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

“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

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

Sun Tzu

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

War , Victory

“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

“For 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.”

Sun Tzu

Variant translations
Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities... It is best to win without fighting.
Source: The Art of War, Chapter III · Strategic Attack

Victory , Fight

“Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.”

Sun Tzu

Lionel Giles translation
Source: The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths

Nature , Water , Victory

“To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.”

Sun Tzu

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

Victory

“Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.”

Sun Tzu

Attributed to Sun Tzu in multiple books and internet sites, but this text does not appear in The Art of War and seems to be a more recent creation.
Disputed

Victory

“If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.”

Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter X · Terrain

Victory , Fight

“A skilled commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand it of his subordinates.”

Sun Tzu

Variant: The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.
Source: The Art of War, Chapter V · Forces

Victory