Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.
Interpretation
The quote highlights that true strength comes from defense while success is found in offense.
Sun Tzu's quote emphasizes the duality of strategy in conflict and life. It suggests that an invincible position is achieved through strong defenses that protect against failure, whereas the potential for victory emerges through proactive and aggressive efforts. This illustrates the balance between caution and ambition in achieving one's goals.
In practice
During a team meeting discussing project strategies.
Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
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.
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.
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.
There two things that are infinite, human stupidity and the universe, I don't know about the universe
When once you consider an action, do not let anything dissuade you. Consult your heart, not others, and then follow its dictates.
I don't think anybody can be told how to act. I think you can give advice. But you have to find your own way through it.
From his neck down a man is worth a couple of dollars a day, from his neck up he is worth anything that his brain can produce.
I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, 'He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator.' Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration.
When I write, I feel like an optometrist, constantly flipping between lenses and asking, 'Is this better? Is this?' Slowly, the work comes into focus.
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