Sun Tzu, or Sunzi, was born in 544 BC, in the state of Qi, a powerful, influential regional state in ancient China during the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–221 BCE), located in present-day Shandong province. He was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer. His primary achievement was authoring The Art of War, the world’s earliest and most influential treatise on military strategy. As a practitioner, he reportedly led the state of Wu to victory over the much larger Chu state at the 506 BCE Battle of Boju. May these best Sun Tzu quotes and sayings on strategy offer you insights to help you bolster your self-awareness and learn strategic wisdom to resolve your challenges in life.
1. “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” – Sun Tzu
2. “What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.” – Sun Tzu
3. “Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.” – Sun Tzu
4. “If his forces are united, separate them.” – Sun Tzu
5. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu
6. “The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.” – Sun Tzu
7. “He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.” – Sun Tzu
8. “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.” – Sun Tzu
9. “To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
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10. “Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” – Sun Tzu
11. “Do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat.” – Sun Tzu
12. “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.” – Sun Tzu
13. “Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.” – Sun Tzu
14. “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.” – Sun Tzu
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15. “If you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if you cling to your corner.” – Sun Tzu
16. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tzu
17. “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.” – Sun Tzu
18. “Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the person works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.” – Sun Tzu
19. “Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory; show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat.” – Sun Tzu
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20. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu
21. “He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.” – Sun Tzu
22. “It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.” – Sun Tzu
23. “To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” – Sun Tzu
24. “Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment that which they cannot anticipate.” – Sun Tzu
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25. “Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.” – Sun Tzu
26. “If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” – Sun Tzu
27. “You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.” – Sun Tzu
28. “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons and they will follow you into the deepest valley.” – Sun Tzu
29. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” – Sun Tzu
30. “If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.” – Sun Tzu
More Famous Sun Tzu Quotes about Life
31. “When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy.” – Sun Tzu
32. “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” – Sun Tzu
33. “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” – Sun Tzu
34. “Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.” – Sun Tzu
35. “Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.” – Sun Tzu
36. “Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like the fire and be still as the mountain.” – Sun Tzu
37. “Great results, can be achieved with small forces.” – Sun Tzu
38. “Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind.” – Sun Tzu
39. “When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.” – Sun Tzu
40. “Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.” – Sun Tzu
41. “Order or disorder depends on organisation; courage or cowardice on circumstances; strength or weakness on dispositions.” – Sun Tzu
42. “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” – Sun Tzu
43. “Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” – Sun Tzu
44. “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.” – Sun Tzu
45. “If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” – Sun Tzu
46. “He who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” – Sun Tzu
47. “When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.” – Sun Tzu
48. “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” – Sun Tzu
49. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Sun Tzu
50. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
51. “All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu
52. “The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country, is the jewel of the kingdom.” – Sun Tzu
53. “In raiding and plundering be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.” – Sun Tzu
54. “The expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.” – Sun Tzu
55. “A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.” – Sun Tzu
56. “To not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.” – Sun Tzu
57. “So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.” – Sun Tzu
58. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Sun Tzu
59. “If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost.” – Sun Tzu
60. “Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.” – Sun Tzu
61. “There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
62. “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.” – Sun Tzu
63. “Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.” – Sun Tzu
64. “One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.” – Sun Tzu
65. “The highest form of generalship is to break the enemy's resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
66. “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.” – Sun Tzu
67. “One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all.” – Sun Tzu
68. “Quickness is the essence of the war.” – Sun Tzu
69. “The experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.” – Sun Tzu
70. “Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent.” – Sun Tzu
Share these Sun Tzu Art of War Quotes and Sayings with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
2. “What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.” – Sun Tzu
3. “Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.” – Sun Tzu
4. “If his forces are united, separate them.” – Sun Tzu
5. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu
6. “The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.” – Sun Tzu
7. “He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.” – Sun Tzu
8. “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.” – Sun Tzu
9. “To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
11. “Do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat.” – Sun Tzu
12. “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.” – Sun Tzu
13. “Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.” – Sun Tzu
14. “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.” – Sun Tzu
16. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tzu
17. “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.” – Sun Tzu
18. “Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the person works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.” – Sun Tzu
19. “Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory; show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat.” – Sun Tzu
21. “He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.” – Sun Tzu
22. “It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.” – Sun Tzu
23. “To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” – Sun Tzu
24. “Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment that which they cannot anticipate.” – Sun Tzu
26. “If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” – Sun Tzu
27. “You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.” – Sun Tzu
28. “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons and they will follow you into the deepest valley.” – Sun Tzu
29. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” – Sun Tzu
30. “If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.” – Sun Tzu
More Famous Sun Tzu Quotes about Life
31. “When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy.” – Sun Tzu
32. “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” – Sun Tzu
33. “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” – Sun Tzu
34. “Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.” – Sun Tzu
35. “Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.” – Sun Tzu
36. “Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like the fire and be still as the mountain.” – Sun Tzu
37. “Great results, can be achieved with small forces.” – Sun Tzu
38. “Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind.” – Sun Tzu
39. “When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.” – Sun Tzu
40. “Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.” – Sun Tzu
41. “Order or disorder depends on organisation; courage or cowardice on circumstances; strength or weakness on dispositions.” – Sun Tzu
42. “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” – Sun Tzu
43. “Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” – Sun Tzu
44. “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.” – Sun Tzu
45. “If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” – Sun Tzu
46. “He who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” – Sun Tzu
47. “When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.” – Sun Tzu
48. “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” – Sun Tzu
49. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Sun Tzu
50. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
51. “All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu
52. “The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country, is the jewel of the kingdom.” – Sun Tzu
53. “In raiding and plundering be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.” – Sun Tzu
54. “The expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.” – Sun Tzu
55. “A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.” – Sun Tzu
56. “To not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.” – Sun Tzu
57. “So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.” – Sun Tzu
58. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Sun Tzu
59. “If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost.” – Sun Tzu
60. “Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.” – Sun Tzu
61. “There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
62. “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.” – Sun Tzu
63. “Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.” – Sun Tzu
64. “One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.” – Sun Tzu
65. “The highest form of generalship is to break the enemy's resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
66. “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.” – Sun Tzu
67. “One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all.” – Sun Tzu
68. “Quickness is the essence of the war.” – Sun Tzu
69. “The experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.” – Sun Tzu
70. “Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent.” – Sun Tzu
Share these Sun Tzu Art of War Quotes and Sayings with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.