The Art of War.

Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.

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

Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.

The victorious army is victorious first and seeks battle later; the defeated army seeks battle first and seeks victory later.

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?

Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.

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.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result is victory, then you must not fight, even at the ruler’s bidding.

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe...

Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.

if you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if you cling to your corner

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

Supreme excellence in warfare consists of subduing the enemy without fighting.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Conform to the enemy’s tactics until a favorable opportunity offers; then come forth and engage in a battle that shall prove decisive.

If his forces are united, separate them.

The ultimate in disposing one’s troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.

Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the Attack.

He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.

If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.

Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.

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

Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge.

If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he...

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary...

There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.

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

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

All war is based on deception.

There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must not be attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

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

who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits

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

If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.

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

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

If there is disturbance in the camp, the general’s authority is 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.

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 on the chance of his not attacking, but rather...

So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence.

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive;and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attachedto you, punishments are not enforced,...

If we wish to wrest an advantage from the enemy, we must not fix our minds on that alone, but allow for the possibility of the enemy also doing some harm to us, and let...

The art of war is the art of deception.