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Strategy Quotes

"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."

"Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack."

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

"The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch'ang 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 mi"

"Be where your enemy is not."

"In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers."

"Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small."

"The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."

"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."

"Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."

"If his forces are united, separate them."

"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."

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

"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 know your enemy, you must become your enemy."

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