Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding both your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your opponent, is crucial for success in conflict.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and awareness of one's adversaries in any competitive scenario, particularly in warfare. The idea suggests that comprehensive knowledge can lead to assured victory and minimize risks, as it enables strategic decision-making based on a clear understanding of oneself and the opposition.
Themes
StrategySelf-AwarenessOpponentKnowledgeVictory
In practice
Example use cases
A leader discussing strategy in a business meeting could use this quote to emphasize market research.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes βGreat 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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