Quotes from Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu said: If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.

Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.

Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) Entangling ground;               (3) Temporizing ground;               (4) Narrow passes; (5) Precipitous heights; (6) Positions at a great distance from the enemy.

A general who advances without thought of personal glory, and retreats without a care for disgrace, who thinks only of protecting the people and benefiting his ruler - such a man is a treasure beyond price to his country.

Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve great results. Spies are a most important element in water, because on them depends an army's ability to move.

Ban all omen-taking and superstitious practices so that death is all they have to worry about.

Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy.

Invincible is the soldier who hath his desire and returneth homewards." A

Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.

All men can see the individual tactics necessary to conquer, but almost no one can see the strategy out of which total victory is evolved.

Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. [Chang Yu said: "Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.

The reason troops slay the enemy is because they are enraged.

More planning shall give greater possibility of victory while less planning, lesser possibility of victory. So how about those without planning?

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.

Know thy enemy

When Sun Tzu spoke of victory, this is what he meant—the prevention or quick resolution of conflict, not the conquering of your opponent.

When Lionel Giles began his translation of Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR, the work was virtually unknown in Europe. Its introduction to Europe began in 1782 when a French Jesuit Father living in China, Joseph Amiot, acquired a copy of it, and translated it into French. It was not a good translation because, according to Dr. Giles, [I]t contains a great deal that Sun Tzu did not write, and very little indeed of what he did. The first translation into English was published

For Sun Tzu, the fundamental mechanism to ending conflict is to achieve a massive imbalance of power and resources over your opponent, and then to leverage that imbalance so skillfully and decisively that your foe is utterly overwhelmed and chooses to surrender rather than fight.

It is not the best thing to win every battle one is engaged in; the best thing is to win without planning to win. This is perfect victory.

The Giles' edition of the ART OF WAR, as stated above, was a scholarly work.

Triunfa el que elabora una táctica para conseguirlo, aprovecha su oportunidad, acepta sus debilidades y reconoce sus fortalezas.

dilatoriness.

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.