40 Powerful Sun Tzu Quotes From The Art Of War

I like Sun Tzu Quotes, especially when it comes to being successful.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, warrior, military strategist, philosopher, and poet whose ideas were used in the foundation for classical Chinese military philosophy The Art of War.

As a military adviser to Emperor Zhao of Qin, he was the greatest general of all time and is still revered in China more than 2,000 years later.

The enlightened commander wins without fighting; he defeats his opponent without having to defeat him.

40 Sun Tzu Quotes

A leader doesn’t lead by force, they lead by example.

No matter how much time you spend on something, you can only really accomplish so much. It might be hard to believe, but there are some things in life that are out of your control. It’s easy to get caught up in accomplishing great things, but sometimes we should just make the best of what we’ve got.

If you think you can control what you think, you just might be the dumbest man on Earth. If you think you can control your mind, you just might be the dumbest man on Earth.

Supreme excellence is when you destroy your opponent’s resistance without striking a blow.

I’m sure you all know something about Sun Tzu, and know that if your adversary will become your enemy, and you will have to become your own enemy, before you can defeat him, you must become your own enemy.

You have to be confident and believe in yourself.

8th of 40 Sun Tzu Quotes

Take care how you treat your own people – they may become your enemies.

As an example of the difference you can achieve by changing the phrasing, compare the two below.

Spying is a very effective way for a leader to gain knowledge and to prepare for his future actions.

9) I don’t see why you think it is not possible to gain knowledge when using a spy.

We can’t really attack, so we must seem to be inactive.
We are in a far away place, so we must seem to be nearby.
Close enough to appear to be far away, but far enough away to look like, close.

When your customers see value in something, they want to use it and have it around. They want to use it as a tool, as a way to accomplish something. They want to be able to easily find and interact with you.
They are not looking to be treated like a resource or some kind of commodity. The value and features that you offer need to be readily apparent and must be clearly communicated in order for customers to know that they can trust in it, use it and engage with your company.

You never finish a fight.
You only make it worse by trying.
When you’re done winning,
you’re still left with the question “Why did I do that?”.

The first principle of good combat practice is to do a minimum of harm to the enemy. An enemy in the field is a much greater threat than one in a fortified position. Even when an enemy is entrenched, that does not mean that you can afford to engage them in a direct confrontation. Always plan to use indirect methods first, then use direct methods when the enemy is weakened and the advantage is yours.

If you’re stronger than others, you should show it. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone else. However, if you are weaker, you should use that to your advantage.
In addition, the goal of any game or sport, I believe, should be to have fun. If playing with friends is fun, keep playing with them. If people are constantly arguing, don’t play with them.

16th of 40 Sun Tzu Quotes

You can’t really fight a war of attrition. You have to know your enemy. You have to know what they want, what they are capable of and you have to know how to beat them when the odds are stacked against you.

One of the most famous quotes ever uttered by an ancient Chinese philosopher, Sun Tzu taught that the goal of warfare is to defeat the enemy’s army without ever fighting.

In order to win a battle, one must first win the war.

When it comes to the relationship market, your relationship and what is going on in your relationship will determine your success and whether or not you will attract business and win new customers.

Even the finest swords plunged into salt water will eventually rust.

Make the people around you better than you are. Always be the person you wish you could be, not the person you are.

When opportunities are seized then they multiply exponentially.

*There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen.
*There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.
*There are not more than five primary tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

24th of 40 Sun Tzu Quotes

Learning how to fight and when not to fight is important. This will be an ongoing process as your career moves forward.

In a fight, most people only think about defence, they try to protect themselves, and that is right too. But this is just a matter of defence. What makes the difference is the attack, the ability to strike effectively when the best opportunity arises. And that is just one of the main reasons why attacking is difficult.

It takes a good decision to have a positive impact on the future. But it’s also important to make the right choice at the right time.

While being mysterious is important sometimes, it also matters how you are perceived. It’s not always better to be enigmatic or difficult to understand. There are ways to be more open and clear, and some people will naturally gravitate toward those things.

The body can go on and on without many things, but the mind is a different story. If the mind is willing, the body can go on and on.

30th of 40 Sun Tzu Quotes

Know your goals, and you can achieve them.

This quote is the basis for modern games like Chess. Chess was invented around the 5th century B.C. and has been used as an educational tool since that time.

If the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. If the enemy is strong, make them weaken. If the enemy is settled, make them move.

Success is usually acquired by those who have a higher level of training.

The key to a successful battle is to deceive the enemy as to the location of your force.

A good leader doesn’t tell people what to do, but helps them see themselves as capable of doing it and encourages them to do it.

36th of 40 Sun Tzu Quotes

Every situation, if you look at it objectively, can be a win or a loss.

There are numerous reasons to be thankful to God for His gifts.

It is bad for a nation to go to war for a long time until the other country goes bankrupt.

If you treat your men like your sons they will respect you, they will follow you into the deepest valley, they will do anything for you, they will die for you.

Even the finest sword plunged into salty water will eventually rust.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu said: “All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when we are planning a campaign we must lie to the enemy.”
“Sun Tzu’s Art of War” has survived for thousands of years because the book provides a practical guide for anyone who needs to get things done, and because its principles are timeless truths.

The Art of War is still required reading for any high-level strategist or tactician. It teaches us that the key to achieving victory is to know our enemy. It will help you master your enemy’s weaknesses and take advantage of their strengths.

Warfare is an aspect of life. People fight for many reasons, some with good intentions and some with bad intentions. The thing is, the main differences in the world today are the use of weapons and weapons systems. This book will cover most of the weapons of today, so it’s only logical to cover the different ways people fight now.

Sun Tzu wrote that the important thing in battle is to win before your enemy is prepared. If the enemy is prepared, you will have a tough time winning. This is because you don’t know what he is thinking or what his plans are. He also emphasized the importance of deception and speed in battle. He stressed that you must be flexible in the planning for battle. He added that no battle is ever exactly as planned.

The Art of War is a classic book that provides insight into the dynamics of conflict and the strategies used by leaders to achieve success. It is a well written, concise and useful book to those looking to better understand the principles of the competitive world we live in.

Summary

You must know your enemy’s ways and outwit him at every turn. Make your plans so that they are compatible with the enemy. If you are able to win you have not lost, and if you know you and your opponent’s weaknesses, you can win.

I have added a link to the original article on a new blog that I have just created.