Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Strategic success relies on exploiting weaknesses and maintaining uncertainty.
This quote from Sun Tzu emphasizes the importance of strategy in both offense and defense. A successful attack should target vulnerable points, while an effective defense should focus on securing positions that are difficult for the opponent to strike. The essence of skill in warfare, according to Sun Tzu, lies in creating confusion for the enemy, leading them to be unsure about where to defend or attack, thereby enabling one to gain the upper hand.
Themes
StrategySuccessDefenseAttackWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
A coach can use this quote when discussing game strategies with their team.
More from Sun Tzu
All quotes βGreat 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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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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As water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy.
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