Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
When the enemy's envoy's speak in humble terms, but continues his preparations, he will advance. When their language is deceptive but the enemy pretentiously advances, he will retreat. When the envoys speak in apologetic terms, he wishes a respite. When without a previous understanding the enemy asks for a truce, he is plotting. When the enemy sees an advantage but does not advance to seize it, he is fatigued.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding the true intentions behind an enemy's actions can lead to strategic advantages in conflict.
This quote from Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of discerning genuine intentions in adversarial communication. It teaches that humbleness in an enemy may hide their true ambitions, while deceptive language can indicate ulterior motives such as retreat or plotting. Recognizing the subtleties in an enemy's behavior and words can provide crucial insights in times of conflict, allowing one to make informed strategic decisions.
Themes
StrategyWarfareDeceptionIntentionCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a military strategy meeting to emphasize the importance of interpreting enemy actions.
More from Sun Tzu
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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
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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.
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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.
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