Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding yourself and your opponent is key to success in conflict.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and knowledge of one's adversaries in achieving victory. By comprehensively understanding both personal strengths and weaknesses, and those of your opponent, one can navigate challenges effectively and emerge successful without suffering defeats.
Themes
Self-AwarenessStrategyVictoryKnowledgeConflict
In practice
Example use cases
During a strategy meeting, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of understanding the competition.
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
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