So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence. |
So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious. |
So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious. |
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. |
Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. |
Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. |
Supreme excellence in warfare consists of subduing the enemy without fighting. |
The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts. |
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 on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. |
The Art of War. |
The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting. |
The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. |
The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution. |
The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom. |
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. |