Quotes About Warfare

8.    EARTH comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. 9.    The COMMANDER stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.

Chapter1 Laying Plans

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.

7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

Every animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head will fight when it is attacked. How much more so will man, who carries in his breast the faculties of love and hatred, joy and anger! When he is pleased, a feeling of affection springs up within him; when angry, his poisoned sting is brought into play. That is the natural law which governs his being. . .

Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack." It

to be well-fed while the enemy is famished: — this is the art of husbanding one's strength.

First, measurement; second, quantity; third, calculation; fourth, comparison; and fifth, victory.

The factors in warfare are: First, measurement; second, quantity; third, calculation; fourth, comparison; and fifth, victory.

Warfare is the Way of deception.

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

What the ancients called a skilful fighter is one who not only wins but wins with ease...He wins by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes means having already established the certainty of victory; conquering an enemy who is already defeated.

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.

What is perhaps most characteristically Taoist about The Art of War in such a way as to recommend itself to the modern day is the manner in which power is continually tempered by a profound undercurrent of humanism.

16. While we keep away from such places, we should get the enemy to approach them; while we face them, we should let the enemy have them on his rear.

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.

El arte de la guerra se basa en el engaño

La invencibilidad está en uno mismo, la vulnerabilidad en el adversario. Por esto, los guerreros expertos pueden ser invencibles, pero no pueden hacer que sus adversarios sean vulnerables.

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.

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.

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

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.