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Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
Sun Tzu
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote advises using strategy and unpredictability to gain an advantage over opponents.

Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of strategy and surprise in achieving victory. By appearing where the opponent is unprepared and forcing them to respond quickly to defend their position, one can create an upper hand in conflict or competition. This principle can be applied not only to warfare but also in various aspects of life where strategic thinking is essential.

Themes

StrategySurpriseAdvantageWarfareTactics

In practice

Example use cases

In a team meeting, you could reference this quote when discussing innovative approaches to outsmart the competition.

More from Sun Tzu

Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
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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.
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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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