For one who has really mastered the way of warfare, his enemy can do nothing to escape death.
Sun BinRead
Deliberate tactical errors and minor losses are the means by which to bait the enemy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of sacrificing small advantages to gain a larger strategic benefit over an opponent.
Sun Bin's quote suggests that in the art of strategy, especially in warfare or competition, making deliberate mistakes or experiencing minor setbacks can serve as a tactic to lure the adversary into a false sense of security. This approach allows one to gain a strategic upper hand, demonstrating that sometimes losing small battles can lead to winning the larger conflict.
Themes
StrategyTacticsWarfareDeceptionAdvantage
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting, you could use this quote to illustrate how taking calculated risks can lead to greater success.
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All quotes βOn both difficult and easy terrain, you must know the 'tenable' and 'fatal' ground. Occupy tenable ground and attack on fatal ground.
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