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Art Of War Quotes

Browse 422 quotes about Art Of War.

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Art Of War Quotes

“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.”

FirstsArtWarHandsAbleLyingCertainOpportunityEnemyMilitaryPossibilityDefeatSecureFighterArt Of WarStrategistGood FightWar StrategyDefeating The Enemy
Book:The Illustrated Art of War
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“Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... 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. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.”

MayArtWarRunningCoursesWinningHeavenWaterBornNaturalConditionsMilitaryVictoryShapesSucceedFlowRelationConstantSoldierWork OutOpponentsRunning AwayWarfareCaptainsFoeTacticsArt Of WarStrategistHigh Places
Book:El Arte de la Guerra – The Art of War (Sun Tzu)
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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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“On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.”

WayTryingArtWarHandsFightingDifficultEnemyMilitarySeriousBlockDesperateMarchAlliesHighwaysResortsArt Of WarHaltPlunderStrategistStratagemContentious
Book:The Art of War (The Classic Lionel Giles Translation)
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“If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.”

IfsWayShouldArtWarEnemyMilitaryAdvantageEssenceDearSpotsOpponentsUnexpectedHostRoutesArt Of WarOrderlyStrategistSeizingAmenable
Book:The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China
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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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“The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they will become double agents and available for our service. It is through the information brought by the double agent that we are able to acquire and employ local and inward spies. It is owing to his information, again, that we can cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy.”

ArtWarAbleCausesEnemyMilitaryInformationAvailableLocalsAgentsAcquireInwardDoomedTemptedSpyArt Of WarBribeOwingStrategistTidings
Book:The Complete Art of War
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“Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds; it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst.”

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Book:On War
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