“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”

—  Sun Tzu

Source: The Art of War, Chapter X · Terrain

Original

視卒如愛子，故可與之俱死。

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

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley." by Sun Tzu?
Sun Tzu photo
Sun Tzu 68
ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosophe… -543–-495 BC

Related quotes

Elton John photo

“You're the son of your father,
Try a little bit harder.
Do for me as he would do for you.
With blood and water bricks and mortar,
He built for you a home.
You're the son of your father,
So treat me as your own.”

Elton John (1947) English rock singer-songwriter, composer and pianist

Son of Your Father
Song lyrics, Tumbleweed Connection (1970)

Seneca the Younger photo

“Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your betters.”
sic cum inferiore vivas quemadmodum tecum superiorem velis vivere.

Seneca the Younger (-4–65 BC) Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist

This can be related to other expressions on the ethics of reciprocity, often referred to as the variants of the Golden Rule.
Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XLVII: On master and slave, Line 11

“Jesus was a radical on race questions. He treated men of every color and tongue as sons of a common Father and therefore brothers beloved.”

Kirby Page (1890–1957) American clergyman

In His sight all men are of inherent and inestimable value. ...Jesus also disregarded the rigid class lines of his day.
Source: Jesus or Christianity: A Study in Contrasts (1929), p. 25

“That is why men follow you, though they hate your blood. They trust you”

David Gemmell book The King Beyond the Gate

Source: Drenai series, The King Beyond the Gate, Ch. 8
Context: When responsibility is thrust upon you, can you run from it? No— you have never and you never will. That is what makes you as you are. That is why men follow you, though they hate your blood. They trust you.

Pierre Trudeau photo

“The community of man should be treated in the same way you would treat your community of brothers or fellow citizens.”

Pierre Trudeau (1919–2000) 15th Prime Minister of Canada

Part 3, 1974 - 1979 Victory And Defeat, p. 224
Memoirs (1993)

Poul Anderson photo

“Your son was in your own tradition.”

Poul Anderson book The Enemy Stars

“Better, I hope,” said the old man. “There would be little sense to existence, did boys have no chance to be more than their fathers.”
Source: The Enemy Stars (1959), Chapter 18 (p. 150)

Bhakti Tirtha Swami photo

“Treat each person with the bhakti and care as if the success or failure of your own spiritual life depends on this. Do not take into concern how they treat you. The manner in which you treat people is the same way you are treating Guru and Krishna.”

Bhakti Tirtha Swami (1950–2005) American Hindu writer

Lectures

Melania Trump photo

“From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life: that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily life. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son, and we need to pass those lessons on to the many generation to follow because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

Melania Trump (1970) Slovenian model, wife of Donald Trump and First Lady of the United States

Speech at 2016 Republican National Convention http://time.com/4412175/republican-convention-melania-trump-michelle-obama/ (July 18, 2016)

Erik Naggum photo

“If you are concerned about netiquette, you are either concerned about your own and follow good netiquette, or you are concerned about others and violate good netiquette by bothering people with your "concern", as the only netiquette you can actually affect is your own.”

Erik Naggum (1965–2009) Norwegian computer programmer

Usenet signatures

Waka Flocka Flame photo

“Animals should be treated the same as you would a kid. Would you want someone just to walk up and skin your kid? Hell no!”

Waka Flocka Flame (1986) American rapper and comedian

Interview https://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-magazine/2011/02/waka-flocka-flame-to-become-the-new-face-of-peta/ with XXL (7 February 2011); quoted in "Waka Flocka Flame Is the New Face of PETA" https://bbook.com/nightlife/waka-flocka-flame-is-the-new-face-of-peta/, BlackBook.

Related topics