105 Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes On Enemy, Strategy, Leadership

Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes On Enemy, Strategy, Leadership

Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes On Enemy, Strategy, Leadership

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, author, and philosopher. Here are the best Sun Tzu quotes and a short biography. His birth name was Sun Wu but known as Sun Tzu.

Sun Tzu was born in 544 BC in Qi or Wu, Zhou Kingdom. He is traditionally credited as the writer of The Art of War, a persuasive work of military strategy that has influenced both Western and East Asian ways of philosophy and military reasoning. His works focus more on alternatives to battle, for example, trick, delay, the utilization of spies and alternatives to war itself, the creation and keeping of alliances, the employments of misleading and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to all the more impressive adversaries. Sun Tzu is respected in Chinese and East Asian culture as an incredibly authentic and military figure. The name Sun Tzu by which he is most popular in the Western World is an honorific which means Master Sun. He died in 496 BC at the age of 47 or 48 in Gusu, Wu, Zhou Kingdom. Check out the best Sun Tzu quotes on the art of war, enemy, leadership, life, love, strategy, discipline, and others.

Inspirational Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes

1. Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain. - Sun Tzu

2. Who wishes to fight must first count the cost. - Sun Tzu

3. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. - Sun Tzu

4. Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. - Sun Tzu

5. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. - Sun Tzu

6. Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm. - Sun Tzu

7. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak. - Sun Tzu

8. Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting. - Sun Tzu

9. Opportunities multiply as they are seized. - Sun Tzu

10. We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors. - Sun Tzu

11. Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose. - Sun Tzu

12. Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small. - Sun Tzu

13. Rewards for good service should not be deferred a single day. - Sun Tzu

14. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger. - Sun Tzu

15. 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

Famous Sun Tzu Quotes

16. Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust. - Sun Tzu

17. The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary. - Sun Tzu

18. Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems. - Sun Tzu

19. There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare. - Sun Tzu

20. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. - Sun Tzu

21. Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across. - Sun Tzu

22. Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack. - Sun Tzu

23. He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. - Sun Tzu

24. Disorder came from order, fear came from courage, weakness came from strength. - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Quotes Know Your Enemy

25. When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. - Sun Tzu

26. To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy. - Sun Tzu

27. 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

28. Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive. - Sun Tzu
 
29. Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. - Sun Tzu

30. If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete. - Sun Tzu

Read: Encouraging Words For Someone Joining The Military Training

31. The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. - Sun Tzu

32. Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer. - Sun Tzu

33. If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. - Sun Tzu

34. Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. - Sun Tzu

35. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril. - Sun Tzu

36. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Quotes On Leadership

37. When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and repose confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders. - Sun Tzu

38. Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley. - Sun Tzu

39. Weak leadership can wreck the soundest strategy. - Sun Tzu

40. One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all. - Sun Tzu

41. The wise warrior avoids the battle. - Sun Tzu

42. When your army has crossed the border, you should burn your boats and bridges, in order to make it clear to everybody that you have no hankering after home. - Sun Tzu

43. A leader leads by example not by force. - Sun Tzu

44. It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results. - Sun Tzu

45. When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy. - Sun Tzu

46. Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him. - Sun Tzu

47. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease. - Sun Tzu

48. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots. - Sun Tzu

49. Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness. - Sun Tzu

50. A wise general makes a point of foraging of the enemy. - Sun Tzu

51. If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless. - Sun Tzu

Best Sun Tzu Quotes

52. The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom. - Sun Tzu

53. Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack. - Sun Tzu

54. He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious. - Sun Tzu

55. Great results, can be achieved with small forces. - Sun Tzu

56. One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. - Sun Tzu

57. The greatest victory is that which requires no battle. - Sun Tzu

58. If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by. - Sun Tzu

59. When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise. - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Quotes On Life, Love and Discipline

60. 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. - Sun Tzu

61. If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things. - Sun Tzu

62. In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory. - Sun Tzu

63. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand. - Sun Tzu

64. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. - Sun Tzu

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

66. In war, practice dissimulation and you will succeed. - Sun Tzu

67. If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak. - Sun Tzu

68. It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy. - Sun Tzu

69. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life. - Sun Tzu

70. 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

Short Sun Tzu Quotes

71. Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy. - Sun Tzu

72. If the enemy opens the door, you must race in. - Sun Tzu

73. In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. - Sun Tzu

74. Know yourself and you will win all battles. - Sun Tzu

75. Sweat more during peace: bleed less during war. - Sun Tzu

76. Never venture, never win! - Sun Tzu

77. The nature of war is constant change. - Sun Tzu

78. If his forces are united, separate them. - Sun Tzu

79. The Art of War is self-explanatory. - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Quotes On Strategy, War and Trust

80. If your opponent is of choleric temper,  seek to irritate him.  Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. - Sun Tzu

81. The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy so that he cannot fathom our real intent. - Sun Tzu

82. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. - Sun Tzu

83. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. - Sun Tzu

84. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. - Sun Tzu

85. If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near. - Sun Tzu

86. All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. - Sun Tzu

87. Do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat. - Sun Tzu

88. Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind. - Sun Tzu

89. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak. - Sun Tzu

90. Conform to the enemy's tactics until a favorable opportunity offers; then come forth and engage in a battle that shall prove decisive. - Sun Tzu

91. It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two. - Sun Tzu

92. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Words Of Wisdom

93. The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand. - Sun Tzu

94. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. - Sun Tzu

95. The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man. - Sun Tzu

96. Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical. - Sun Tzu

97. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE. - Sun Tzu

98. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare, there are no constant conditions. - Sun Tzu

99. One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant. - Sun Tzu

100. There is no place where espionage is not possible. - Sun Tzu

101. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. - Sun Tzu

102. In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns. - Sun Tzu

103. It is more important to outthink your enemy, than to outfight him. - Sun Tzu

104. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. - Sun Tzu

105. Bravery without forethought, causes a man to fight blindly and desperately like a mad bull.  Such an opponent, must not be encountered with brute force but may be lured into an ambush and slain. - Sun Tzu


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