Quotes from Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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 wise warrior avoids the battle.

To conquer the enemy without resorting to war is the most desirable. The highest form of generalship is to conquer the enemy by strategy.

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

the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

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.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

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

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

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

Great results, can be achieved with small forces.

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

Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.

Rewards for good service should not be deferred a single day.

The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming.

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.

Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy.

Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.

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

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

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