Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A skilled strategist chooses the conditions of engagement rather than being forced into them.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of control and preparation in conflict. It suggests that a wise leader or strategist not only prepares for battle but also dictates the terms of engagement, choosing the battlefield to their advantage rather than allowing the enemy to impose their conditions.
Themes
StrategyBattleConflictControlLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
In a leadership seminar discussing effective conflict resolution.
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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