Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
We cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country - its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding one's environment and allies is crucial for effective leadership and strategic planning.
This quote emphasizes the importance of knowing both the environment and the intentions of potential allies when preparing for a strategic endeavor. Just as a leader must understand the terrain when leading an army, they must also be aware of the motivations and plans of neighboring allies to ensure successful collaborations and avoid pitfalls in leadership.
Themes
LeadershipStrategyEnvironmentAllianceUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a military briefing to emphasize the importance of intelligence gathering.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes →Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
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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.
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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