Whether the object be to crush an army, to storm a city, or to assassinate an individual, it is always necessary to begin by finding out the names of the attendants, the aides-de-camp, and doorkeepers and sentries of the general in command. Our spies must be commissioned to ascertain these.

— Sun Tzu

If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.

— Sun Tzu

Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Chung mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

— Sun Tzu

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 the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.

— Sun Tzu

Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot.

— Sun Tzu

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.

— Sun Tzu

The difficulty in tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

— Sun Tzu

Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

— Sun Tzu

The quality of a decision is like a well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.

— Sun Tzu

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by our enemy himself.

— Sun Tzu

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

— Sun Tzu

Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

— Sun Tzu

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

— Sun Tzu