Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Preparation and strategy are key to achieving victory.
This quote by Sun Tzu highlights the importance of foresight and planning in achieving success. It suggests that true victors approach challenges with a clear strategy in place, ensuring they are prepared before engaging in any conflict, while those who fail often jump into battles without sufficient preparation, relying solely on luck or reaction to achieve victory.
Themes
VictoryStrategyPreparationWisdomWarfare
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to encourage strategic planning.
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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