Various quotes from the Art of War by Sun Tzu

art_of_war.txt

    “Quickness is the essence of the war.” – Sun Tzu
    “To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” – Sun Tzu
    “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. 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
    “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu
    “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.” – Sun Tzu
    “You have to believe in yourself.” – Sun Tzu
    “Know yourself and you will win all battles.” – Sun Tzu
    “There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
    “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.” – Sun Tzu
    “Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu
    “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” – 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
    “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.” – Sun Tzu
    “Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.” – Sun Tzu
    “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
    “If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.” – Sun Tzu
    “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
    “Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.” – Sun Tzu
    “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” – Sun Tzu
    “When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.” – Sun Tzu
    “Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” – 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
    “Victory usually goes to the army who has better trained officers and men.” – Sun Tzu
    “He who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” – Sun Tzu
    “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
    “The opportunity 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
    “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
    “A leader leads by example, not by force.” – Sun Tzu
    “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
    “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” – Sun Tzu
    “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu
    “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem 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
    “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” – Sun Tzu
    “So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” – Sun Tzu
    “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” – Sun Tzu
    “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
    “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.” – Sun Tzu
    “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – 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
    “The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.” – Sun Tzu
    “Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?” – Sun Tzu
    “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Sun Tzu