“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

Original

是故勝兵先勝而後求戰,敗兵先戰而後求勝。

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update July 24, 2025. History

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Sun Tzu 68
ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosophe… -543–-495 BC

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