Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow. Sun Tzu More Quotes by Sun Tzu More Quotes From Sun Tzu No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. 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 once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life. Sun Tzu fighting war moving Generally, management of many is the same as management of few. It is a matter of organization. And to control many is the same as to control few. This is a matter of formations and signals. Sun Tzu organization management matter To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu army military war The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. Sun Tzu army opportunity war One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant. Sun Tzu art-of-war inadequate army There are routes not to be followed, armies not to be attacked, citadels not to be besieged, territory not to be fought over. Sun Tzu alliances army inspirational A battle avoided cannot be lost. Sun Tzu avoided battle lost Defeat the enemies strategy. Sun Tzu defeat decision enemy If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril. Sun Tzu ignorant war enemy Invincibility is in oneself, and vulnerability is in the opponent. Invincibility is a matter of defense, vulnerability is a matter of attack. Therefore skillful warriors are able to be invincible, but they cannot cause opponents to be vulnerable. That is why it is said that victory is discerned and not manufactured. Sun Tzu warrior leadership sports Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation. Sun Tzu spirit war art Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence. Sun Tzu fundamentals war firsts O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Sun Tzu divine war art Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose. Sun Tzu war enemy art Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected. Sun Tzu march where-you-are enemy If you follow the enemy's shifts and changes, you can always find a way to win. Sun Tzu mma winning enemy You cannot know if you will be successful or not. You can only prepare for battle and it must be done with all of your heart and with all of your consciousness. In that manner, you will have an edge. Sun Tzu battle successful heart Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across. Sun Tzu opponents bridges war Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling. Sun Tzu abandoned war art Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity. Sun Tzu spy war art