Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
The proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause people's substance to be drained away. When their substance is drained away, they will be afflicted by heavy exactions. With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and their incomes dissipated.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War and military presence lead to economic strain on society.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the adverse economic effects that arise from the presence of an army, suggesting that military conflict depletes resources and burdens the population, ultimately leading to poverty and loss of stability in homes. It highlights the interconnectedness of war and economic welfare, illustrating how military actions can have far-reaching consequences beyond the battlefield.
Themes
WarEconomyResourcesSun TzuExhaustion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the economic impacts of military deployment during a public forum.
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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.
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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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