“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.”

—  Sun Tzu , book The Art of War

(zh-TW) 微乎微乎，至於無形；神乎神乎，至於無聲；故能為敵之司命。
Alternative translation: Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.
Alternative translation: O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update March 5, 2024. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Th…" by Sun Tzu?
Sun Tzu photo
Sun Tzu 68
ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosophe… -543–-495 BC

Related quotes

Sun Tzu photo

“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness.”

Sun Tzu book The Art of War

Alternative translation: Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.
Alternative translation: O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths
Context: 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.

Juliette Binoche photo

“In films we see extremes, because it’s where you have turning points.”

Juliette Binoche (1964) French actress

As quoted in "Emotional Intelligence" by James Mottram, in The Sunday Herald (8 January 2006)
Context: I think the characters I play go through tunnels, like in Three Colours : Blue, for example, where she’s lost everything... In The English Patient, she loses her best friend; this patient is dying in front of her – there’s no hope, so she’s going to start from the bottom. In films we see extremes, because it’s where you have turning points. Before I thought there was a common denominator between my films — as if all my characters were sisters – but I’m not so sure now.

Graham Greene photo

“Point me out the happy man and I will point you out either extreme egotism, selfishness, evil -- or else an absolute ignorance.”

Graham Greene book The Heart of the Matter

Source: The Heart of the Matter

Olly Blackburn photo

“I think Donkey Punch is an extreme thriller or an extreme reality-based thriller. The whole point of the film is it's grounded in reality.”

Olly Blackburn Film director and screenwriter

[Exclusive interview with Oliver Blackburn, Total Film, http://www.totalfilm.com/trailers/donkey-punch-exclusive-interview-with-oliver-blackburn, 2011, Future Publishing Limited, 23 February 2012]

“Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it.”

Laura Hillenbrand book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Source: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

“The Valkyrie did not believe in coincidence, only fate. And sometimes fate didn't even bother being subtle.”

Kresley Cole book A Hunger Like No Other

Source: A Hunger Like No Other

Carl Schmitt photo

“The political is the most intense and extreme antagonism, and every concrete antagonism becomes that much more political the closer it approaches the most extreme point, that of the friend-enemy grouping.”

Carl Schmitt book The Concept of the Political

The Concept of the Political (1927)

“"[Relationships] never seem to work out, I mean it gets to the point where I have to be extremely cautious. You have to understand, this stardom thing is still new to me, I don't even consider myself "famous". It's 2008: if you have a blog, a mixtape and two pairs of skinny jeans you, too, can be 'famous'."”

Danny! (1983) American rapper

On fame and its effect on finding love, (Rolling Stone interview http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/02/13/hoopla-dreams-danny-plays-hard-loves-harder/, 2008)
Interviews

Roger Scruton photo

“Kant's position is extremely subtle — so subtle, indeed, that no commentator seems to agree with any other as to what it is.”

Roger Scruton (1944–2020) English philosopher

"Some More -isms" (p. 25)
Modern Philosophy (1995)

Related topics