Quotes About Foresight

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not

Master Sun So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

Go forth armed without determining strategy, and you will destroy yourself in battle.

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

Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand.

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

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.

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

Know thy enemy

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.

Si vos ennemis sont plus puissants et plus forts que vous, vous ne les attaquerez point, vous éviterez avec un grand soin ce qui peut conduire à un engagement général ; vous cacherez toujours avec une extrême attention l'état où vous vous trouverez.

Najwy?szym osi?gni?ciem jest pokonanie wroga bez stoczenia z nim walki.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.

It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.

In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power. It is sufficient to estimate the enemy situation correctly and to concentrate your strength to capture him. There is no more to it than this. He who lacks foresight and underestimates his enemy will surely be captured by him.

the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.

When I wish to give battle, my enemy, even though protected by high walls and deep moats, cannot help but engage me, for I attack a position he must succor. When I wish to avoid battle I may defend myself simply by drawing a line on the ground; the enemy will be unable to attack me because I divert him from going where he wishes.

la norma general de las operaciones militares consiste en no contar con que el enemigo no acuda, sino confiar en tener los medios de enfrentarte a él; no contar con que el adversario no ataque, sino confiar en poseer lo que no puede ser atacado.

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.

Une armée victorieuse remporte l'avantage, avant d'avoir cherché la bataille ; une armée vouée à la défaite combat dans l'espoir de gagner.

Après un premier avantage, n'allez pas vous endormir ou vouloir donner à vos troupes un repos hors de saison. Poussez votre pointe avec la même rapidité qu'un torrent qui se précipiterait de mille toises de haut. Que votre ennemi n'ait pas le temps de se reconnaître, et ne pensez à recueillir les fruits de votre victoire que lorsque sa défaite entière vous aura mis en état de le faire sûrement, avec loisir et tranquillité.

At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand.