Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Preparedness and resilience are essential in facing challenges.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of being prepared for potential threats instead of assuming they won't occur. It advocates for a proactive mindset, encouraging individuals to focus on strengthening their own position and capabilities, thereby becoming 'invincible' in the face of adversity.
Themes
PreparednessResilienceStrategyLeadershipAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a leadership seminar focused on crisis management.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes →Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
Sun TzuRead
To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
Sun TzuRead
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.
Sun TzuRead
You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Sun TzuRead
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 TzuRead
Similar quotes
I'm a control freak. If you're going to slap my name on something, I would like to control it.
Anthony BourdainRead
Women, it turns out, are built to lead - particularly in the modern world.
Helen FisherRead
People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him.
Robert KennedyRead
That's all managing is: just coming up with the right questions and getting the right answers.
Jack WelchRead
There's so much more involved with the game than just sitting there, looking at the numbers and saying, 'OK, these are my percentages, then I'm going to do it this way,' because that one time it doesn't work could cost your team a football game, and that's the thing a head coach has to live with, not the professor.
Bill CowherRead
No other President ever enjoyed the Presidency as I did.
Theodore RooseveltRead