Quotes About Foresight

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

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

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost

A general-in-chief should ask himself several times in the day, What if the enemy were to appear now in my front, or on my right, or my left?

Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy.

What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

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

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

Know thy self, know thy enemy.

What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.

The value of time, that is of being a little ahead of your opponent, often provides greater advantage than superior numbers or greater resources.

Like as a wise man in time of peace prepares for war.

With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.

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.

Be where your enemy is not.

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

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

You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.

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 higher level of grand strategy [is] that of conducting war with a far-sighted regard to the state of the peace that will follow.

He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.

The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.

There's no such thing as mistakes – only a lack of foresight.