Episode Summary
These Sun Tzu Art of War Quotes will teach you about the warrior mindset is some of the most important teachings when it comes to male self-improvement. In this video, I’ll share with you some of the quotes from Sun Tzu about how to conquer life’s battles. With a warrior mindset, you’ll be able to face any challenge with confidence and ultimately achieve your goals!
Who was Sun Tzu?
Sun Tzu (l. c. 500 BCE) was a Chinese military strategist and general best known as the author of the work The Art of War, a treatise on military strategy (also known as The Thirteen Chapters). He was associated (formally or as an inspiration) with The School of the Military, one of the philosophical systems of the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Spring and Autumn Period (c. 772-476 BCE), which advocated military preparedness in maintaining peace and social order.
40 of the Best Sun Tzu Art of War Quotes
1. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
2. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”
3. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
4. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
5. “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
6. “Quickness is the essence of the war.”
7. “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.”
8. “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.”
9. “There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.”
10. “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 colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.”
11. “Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.”
12. “You have to believe in yourself.”
13. “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
14. “One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.”
15. “What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.”
16. “The wise warrior avoids the battle.”
17. “The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.”
18. “One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.”
19. “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.”
20. “He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.”
21. “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.”
22. “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.”
23. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.”
24. “Great results can be achieved with small forces.”
25. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
26. “If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is death.”
27. “To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
28. “Bravery without forethought, causes a man to fight blindly and desperately like a mad bull. Such an opponent, must not be encountered with brute force, but may be lured into an ambush and slain.”
29. “Wheels of justice grind slow but grind fine.”
30. “Never venture, never win!”
31. “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 middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.”
32. “It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.”
33. “Be where your enemy is not.”
34. “Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.”
35. “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.”
36. “Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.”
37. “The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
38. “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.”
39. “If you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if you cling to your corner.”
40. “Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.”
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