Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
He who knows things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Knowledge combined with action leads to success, while ignorance and inaction result in failure.
This quote by Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of applying knowledge in practical situations. Simply knowing theoretical concepts is not enough; one must actively implement that knowledge to achieve victory, whether in battle or in any other endeavor. Conversely, those who lack understanding and fail to act will inevitably face defeat.
Themes
KnowledgeActionSuccessDefeatBattle
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes →Great 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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