Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Wait by the river long enough and the body of your enemy will float by you.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Patience leads to ultimate resolution in conflicts.
This quote by Sun Tzu suggests that rather than engaging in direct confrontation with your enemies, it is often more effective to remain patient and allow circumstances to unfold, ultimately leading to their downfall. It highlights the value of strategic patience in conflict, implying that time can be a powerful ally in overcoming adversaries.
Themes
PatienceStrategyConflictWisdomEnemies
In practice
Example use cases
During a negotiation, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of waiting for the right moment.
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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