Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China.
Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. Hope, our collection of Sun Tzu Quotes will inspire you to fight your battle wisely.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
– Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu Quotes
1. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu
2. “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Sun Tzu
3. “The wise warrior avoids the battle.” – Sun Tzu
4. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.” – Sun Tzu
5. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tzu
6. “Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.” – Sun Tzu
7. “One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.” – Sun Tzu
8. “Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” – Sun Tzu
9. “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” – Sun Tzu
10. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu
Best Quotes By Sun Tzu
11. “Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.” – Sun Tzu
12. “Disorder came from order, fear came from courage, weakness came from strength.” – Sun Tzu
13. “To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” – Sun Tzu
14. “Those who win every battle are not really skillful—those who render others’ armies helpless without fighting are the best of all.” – Sun Tzu
15. “The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” – Sun Tzu
16. “Sweat more during peace: bleed less during war.” – Sun Tzu
17. “Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness.” – Sun Tzu
18. “Correct your mistake as soon as you have found it.” – Sun Tzu
19. “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” – Sun Tzu
20. “If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” – Sun Tzu
21. “Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.” – Sun Tzu
22. “The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.” – Sun Tzu
23. “Quickness is the essence of the war.” – Sun Tzu
24. “Great results can be achieved with small forces.” – Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu Quotes From The Art of War
25. “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
26. “Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.” – Sun Tzu
27. “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.” – Sun Tzu
28. “The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.” – Sun Tzu
29. “The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.” – Sun Tzu
30. “Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.” – Sun Tzu
31. “When your army has crossed the border, you should burn your boats and bridges, in order to make it clear to everybody that you have no hankering after home.” – Sun Tzu
32. “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” – Sun Tzu
33. “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” – Sun Tzu
34. “One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.” – Sun Tzu
35. “Do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat.” – Sun Tzu
36. “Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.” – Sun Tzu
37. “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” – Sun Tzu
38. “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
War Quotes By Sun Tzu
39. “To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
40. “If there is disturbance in the camp, the general’s authority is weak.” – Sun Tzu
41. “By reinforcing every part, he weakens every part.” – Sun Tzu
42. “The difficulty of tactical manoeuvring consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.” – Sun Tzu
43. “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu
44. “All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu
45. “Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” – Sun Tzu
46. “Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems.” – Sun Tzu
47. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Sun Tzu
48. “Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.” – Sun Tzu
49. “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” – Sun Tzu
50. “There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.” – Sun Tzu
