The 90 best phrases of Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was considered one of the wisest people of his time. Being a military strategist and later a philosopher of Chinese origin, his knowledge is due to his experience in battle and the results of the same. He managed to gain recognition after his book 'The Art of War', where he argues that the best way to win a conflict is by defeating the enemy without the use of weapons, but with cunning.
- We recommend you read: "The 90 best phrases of Confucius (philosophical)"
Great quotes and reflections from Sun Tzu
Below you can enjoy the most iconic Sun Tsu quotes about various aspects of life that will make you see it from another perspective.
1. All war is based on deception.
One of the first rules of the art of war.
2. The art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
It's about using your enemy's weaknesses to your advantage.
3. The best victory is to win without fighting.
Weapons, for the philosopher, were unnecessary.
4. If you know the enemy and yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
You always have to be prepared.
5. War is a serious matter of the state; it is a place of life and death, a path to survival and extinction, a question that must be carefully considered.
The reality of what war is about.
6. When orders are reasonable, fair, simple, clear and consistent, there is mutual satisfaction between the leader and the group.
A leader must be able to maintain order and harmony in a group.
7. The true goal of war is peace.
The end to be achieved.
8. A leader leads by example, not by force.
When fear prevails, you cannot get respect.
9. Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability in the adversary.
The art of war invites us to increase our self-esteem.
10. Weapons are fatal instruments that should only be used when there is no other alternative.
Your opinion on the use of weapons.
11. A wise general takes care of supplying the enemy.
He knows the enemy so he can defeat him at his game.
12. Avoid what is strong, attack what is weak.
To solve problems, you have to be cunning.
13. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
Never underestimate your opponent.
14. Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formless. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of no sound. In this way you can be the director of your opponent's destiny.
On using discretion as a weapon.
15. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight triumph.
Everything has its moment.
16. Control over large forces is governed by the same principle as controlling a few men: it is a mere matter of dividing their numbers.
This reminds us of the saying "divide and conquer".
17. He who knows how to solve difficulties solves them before they arise.
There is always a solution.
18. If you use the enemy to defeat the enemy, you will be powerful wherever you go.
The secret of the art of war.
19. He tires enemies by keeping them busy and not letting them breathe.
It's about making the other give up.
20. Good warriors bring adversaries to come to them, and in no way allow themselves to be drawn out of their stronghold.
He plays by your own rules.
21. Invisible is the soldier who fulfills his mission and returns home.
On the duty of a soldier.
22. Great results can be achieved with little effort.
Things are accomplished with small goals.
23. Can you imagine what I would do if I could do everything I can?
You can imagine it?
24. Skilled warriors may be invincible, but they cannot make their adversaries vulnerable.
Arrogance can turn into your weakness.
25. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors first go to war and then seek to win.
When we have a plan, the results are more victorious.
26. There is no country that has benefited from protracted wars.
Wars destroy more than they benefit.
27. If you send reinforcements everywhere, you will be weak everywhere.
We must avoid despair in the face of difficulties.
28. What the ancients call an astute fighter is one who not only wins, but stands out for winning with simplicity.
Humility is a value that should never be lacking.
29. If you make the adversaries not know the place and the date of the battle, you can always win.
Keep for yourself all the information that can give you an advantage.
30. Disorder comes from order, cowardice comes from courage, weakness springs from strength.
Bad things come from exploiting good things.
31. Invincibility lies in defense, the possibility of victory, in attack.
On the results of the various attacks.
32. He who excels at defeating his enemies triumphs before his threats materialize.
Take the first step.
33. Take them to a point where they can't get out, and they'll die before they can escape.
If you corner the enemy, they won't be able to attack.
34. You can secure the position of your defenses by only holding positions that cannot be attacked.
Use your best talents in strategic locations.
35. Order or disorder depends on the organization.
Organization is key in any aspect of life.
36. If you don't know others or yourself, you will be in danger in every battle.
Ignorance generates insecurity.
37. When resources are exhausted, taxes are collected under pressure.
When governments start to be corrupt.
38. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable like the night and when you move, it strikes like lightning.
Keep your actions secret and act when you must.
39. Making yourself invincible means knowing yourself; waiting to discover the vulnerability of the adversary means knowing others.
When we know each other, we can use all our capacities to the maximum.
40. You should never attack with anger and in a hurry. It is advisable to take time in planning and coordinating the plan.
Letting ourselves be carried away by rage can generate terrible, irreparable slogans.
41. Let the speed be that of the wind, and be compact like a forest.
On fast and accurate actions.
42. It is more important to overcome your enemy mentally than with force.
Cunning takes you further than violence.
43. One can know the condition of an entire army by the behavior of one single man.
The army is a unit.
44. Only when you know every detail of the ground condition can you maneuver and fight.
To do something you have to know how to do it.
45. There are no more than five musical notes, however combinations of these five result in more melodies than can be heard.
On the power of music.
46. Winning a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the height of skill. Dominating the enemy without fighting is the pinnacle of skill.
The really important.
47. Who does not have goals, it is unlikely that he will achieve them.
For this reason, many find themselves disoriented in their lives.
48. When he is close, he must seem far away, when he is far, he must seem close.
Let the enemy underestimate you and so you can surprise him.
49. If the instructions are not clear and the explanations and orders are not trusted, the fault lies with the general.
A general should set the example of strength and humility.
50. A trait of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or he does not fight.
Decisions that also apply to our daily lives.
51. The psychology of soldiers is to resist when surrounded, to fight when it cannot be avoided, and to obey in extreme cases.
On the character and obedience of the soldiers.
52. When power and resources are exhausted, the country itself is ruined.
A country must maintain its natural resources to be prosperous.
53. To know your Enemy you must become your Enemy.
Another way to put ourselves in each other's shoes.
54. Convince your enemy that he will gain little if he attacks you, this will decrease his interest.
As its purpose clearly highlights, war tries to seek peace.
55. Defense is for times of scarcity, attack for times of plenty.
On the moments to defend and attack.
56. Fighting with others face to face to gain advantage is the hardest thing in the world.
Fighting itself is exhausting work.
57. The opportunity to insure against defeat is in our own hands, but the opportunity to defeat the enemy is provided by himself.
It refers to knowing our capabilities and limits.
58. In the midst of chaos there is also opportunity.
Every occasion can provide us with an opportunity.
59. He who knows when he can fly and when he cannot, he will be victorious.
It's not just about attacking but knowing when to stop.
60. The general encompasses the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and being strict.
The panel of a general.
61. Opportunities multiply as they are taken.
You grow as you experiment.
62. It is when you are surrounded by all dangers that you need not fear any.
Fear is the main enemy to defeat.
63. Baits are displayed to incite the enemy. Disorder is feigned and squashed.
Use deception to your advantage.
64. It appears inferior and stimulates your arrogance.
When people exaggerate their confidence they become vulnerable.
65. If you know yourself, but do not know the enemy, for each battle won you will lose another.
You will always live losing even if you win.
66. The worst tactic is to attack a city. Besieging, cornering a city is only done as a last resort.
On the worst decision to make in the war.
67. Armed fighting can be profitable and it can be dangerous. For the expert it is profitable, for the inexperienced it is dangerous.
That is why it is important to prepare.
68. You have to believe in yourself.
To achieve our goals, it is necessary to build strong confidence.
69. Every man can see the tactics he used where he conquered, but what no one can see is the strategy that involves victory.
Keep your options available but don't reveal which one you will use.
70. If you cannot be strong, and yet you cannot be weak, that will result in your defeat.
You have to acknowledge your flaws in order to improve them.
71. Fighting and winning all battles does not achieve supreme excellence.
According to the art of war, honor is not to be a conqueror with violence, but with humility.
72. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they turn well.
Justice acts sooner or later.
73. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous. Maneuvering with an undisciplined crowd is dangerous.
That is why it is important to maintain order and unity in a group.
74. Strategy without tactics is the slowest path to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.
Both feed each other.
75. If you want to feign cowardice in order to know the strategy of your opponents, you first have to be extremely brave, because only then can you act artificially shy.
Acting is also part of war.
76. The intelligent combatant imposes his will on his enemy, but does not allow his enemy's will to be imposed on him.
On not being carried away by the opinions of others.
77. Anger can turn into joy, and anger can turn into pleasure. But a nation can never be rebuilt, and a life cannot be reborn.
There are things that can resurface and others that end forever.
78. He who knows does not preach, he who preaches does not know.
Use your knowledge conscientiously and don't brag about it.
79. Do not press a desperate enemy. An exhausted animal will continue to fight, for that is the law of nature.
When we are desperate is when we draw the most strength.
80. Consider your soldiers as your children and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look at them as your dearest children and they will remain by your side until death.
About the treatment of soldiers.
81. In order to defeat the enemy, the entire military command must have a single intention and all military forces must cooperate.
It is about the whole group sharing the same goal.
82. Anyone who has form can be defined, and anyone who can be defined can be defeated.
Everything that is known can be destroyed.
83. Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.
Everything has a price.
84. Courage above all things is the first quality of a warrior.
Courage is not about attacking without measure, it is about overcoming fear and being confident.
85. You have to carefully compare the opposing army with your own to know where the force is superabundant and where it is deficient.
On doing an exemplification to be able to make a solid strategy.
86. Confront them with annihilation and they will survive; plunge them into a deadly situation and they will live. When people are in danger, they are able to fight for victory.
Danger keeps us in a state of perpetual alertness and survival.
87. Thus, only a brilliant ruler or a wise general who can use the cleverest for espionage can be sure of victory.
Espionage is key to beating an opponent.
88. Attack your enemy when he is not ready, he appears when they are not expecting you.
The best weapon is the element of surprise.
89. Make adversaries see as extraordinary what is ordinary to you; make what is extraordinary to you to see as ordinary.
Alter the perception of the enemy to win.
90. If you wait in front of the river long enough, the corpses of your enemy will pass in front of you.
Prepare yourself, but don't take more time than necessary on it.