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" When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce. "

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" If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near. "

" To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence. "

" Victory usually goes to the army who has better trained officers and men. "

" 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. "

" Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack. "

" If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity. "

" Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge. "

" Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. "

" For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards. "

" The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. "

" Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory. "

" Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. "

" He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. "

" The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand. "

" Balk the enemy's power; force him to reveal himself. "

" If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. "

" The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom. "

" Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. "

" Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. "

" The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. "

" Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory. "

" Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move. "

" Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. "

" 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. "

" Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. "

" A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame. "

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

" If fighting is sure to result in victory, than you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding. "

" Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared. "

" The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. "