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Sun Tzu Quotes

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Famous Sun Tzu Quotes

“There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honour, which is sensitive to shame; over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.”

MenMayArtWarWorryFiveTroubleDangerousDestructionShameFaultsSensitiveInsultHonourCaptureTemperCowardiceArt Of WarDelicacyHastyProvokedRecklessnessSolicitude
Book:The Art of War
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“In your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise: which of the two generals has the most ability? on which side is Discipline most rigorously enforced? which army is stronger? on which side are the officers and men more highly trained? in which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?”

MenArtMadeTwoWarSidesAbilityGreaterWiseConditionsMilitaryDisciplineBasesArmyStrongerRewardsDetermineSeekingPunishmentComparisonOfficersArt Of WarConstancyDeliberationReward And Punishment
Author:Sun Tzu
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“These are the six ways of courting defeat - neglect to estimate the enemy's strength; want of authority; defective training; unjustifiable anger; nonobservance of discipline; failure to use picked men.”

MenWayWantArtWarUseEnemyDisciplineAuthoritySixTrainingDefeatNeglectArt Of WarDefective
Book:Art of War, Plain English Edition: One of the Greatest Strategy Books in the History of the World, Now in an Easy to Read Version
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“If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.”

IfsKnowsMenArtStillsWarFightingEnemyGoneConditionsMilitaryVictoryArt Of WarHalfwayStrategist
Book:Sun-Tzu on the Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise in the World (Sunzi for Language Learners, Volume 1)
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“Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity; They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness; Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports; Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of warfare; If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told.”

IfsMenMindKindArtWarUseTogetherCertainSecretPiecesMilitaryHe ManNewsReportsSubtleWarfareEmployedSpyIntuitiveArt Of WarBenevolenceRipeIngenuityStrategistSagacity
Author:Sun Tzu
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