Strategy Quotes

"Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy." "We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors." "Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength." "Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger." "Ponder and deliberate before you make a move." "Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical." "To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." "If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. " "To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." "Be extremely subtle even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate." "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." "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." "The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip; to avoid this, the warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes or other people’s opinions." "Cunning... is but the low mimic of wisdom." "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." "Never tell your enemy he is doing the wrong thing." "Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don't rush. Be quick, but don't hurry." "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." "Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all."