Tzu, Sun (Sun Tzu)

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

-- Sun Tzu

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
-- Sun Tzu

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

The more you read and learn, the less your adversary will know.
-- Sun Tzu

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

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.
-- Sun Tzu

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.
-- Sun Tzu

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

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

All war is deception.
-- Sun Tzu

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

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
-- Sun Tzu

If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.
-- Sun Tzu

Know thy enemy and know thyself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know thyself but not thy enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know thy enemy but not thyself, wallow in defeat everytime.
-- Sun Tzu

It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used.
-- Sun Tzu

Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge.
-- Sun Tzu

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.
-- Sun Tzu

Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.
-- Sun Tzu

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
-- Sun Tzu

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.
-- Sun Tzu

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.
-- Sun Tzu

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

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

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

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
-- Sun Tzu

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.
-- Sun Tzu

The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.
-- Sun Tzu

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

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.
-- Sun Tzu

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.
-- Sun Tzu

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
-- Sun Tzu

To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
-- Sun Tzu

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

A leader leads by example not by Force.
-- Sun Tzu

If your opponent is of choleric temperment, seek to irritate him.
-- Sun Tzu

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy...Keep your Friends close and your Enemies closer.
-- Sun Tzu

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
-- Sun Tzu