Sun Tzu Quotes
Sun Tzu was a Chinese strategist of the late Spring and Autumn period, traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, the earliest and most influential treatise on military strategy in the world's literature. The work treats warfare as an extension of political life and develops a philosophy of action centered on the rational assessment of conditions, the management of information, the indirect approach, and the goal of victory without battle. The quotes below are attributed to Sun Tzu, organized by topic.
Browse Sun Tzu by topic
Sun Tzu on Knowledge
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Attributed to Sun Tzu:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
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“兵者，國之大事 ，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。”
The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death , a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. -
“兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近，”
All warfare is based on deception . Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. | Variant translations | A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, -
“Variant translations”
兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近， -
“實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，出其不意，攻其不備。”
If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. | Note: "If his forces are united, sepa -
“If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”
實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，出其不意，攻其不備。 -
“Note: "If his forces are united, separate them" is also interpreted: "If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them.”
實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，出其不意，攻其不備。 -
“Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.”
亂而取之 -
“Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance .”
卑則驕之
Sun Tzu on Politics
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Attributed to Sun Tzu:
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
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“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
是故勝兵先勝而後求戰，敗兵先戰而後求勝。 -
Attributed to Sun Tzu:
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory; tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
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“The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death , a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”
兵者，國之大事 ，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。
Sun Tzu on Time
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Attributed to Sun Tzu:
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
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Attributed to Sun Tzu:
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”
Sun Tzu on Truth
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“All warfare is based on deception.”
兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近， -
“A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.”
兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近，
Things actually not said by Sun Tzu
A number of widely-shared lines are circulated as Sun Tzu but are in fact from someone else. Did Sun Tzu say these? No. Each entry below pairs the line with the person who actually wrote it.
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: This has often been attributed to Sun Tzu and sometimes to Petrarch . It comes most directly from a line spoken by Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola : My father taught me many things here. He taught me in this room. He taught me: keep yo
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Probably apocryphal. This quotation does not appear in any print translation of Sun Tzu. The first citation in Google Books is from 2002; no citation in Google Books occurs in a translation of Sun Tzu.
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“The true objective of war is peace.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: This is attributed to Sun Tzu in The Art of War . Actually James Clavell’s foreword in The Art of War states , “’the true object of war is peace.’” Therefore the quote is stated by James Clavell , but the true origin of Clavell's quotation is unclear. Nonetheless the essence of the quote, that a lon
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“In peace, prepare for war. In war, prepare for peace.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Sometimes erroneously prepended to the opening line "The art of war is of vital importance to the State", but appears to be a variation of the Roman motto "Si vis pacem, para bellum". It is not clear who first misattributed this phrase to Sun Tzu. The earliest appearance of the phrase in Google Book
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Attributed implicitly to Sun Tzu by " William Riker " in the episode The Last Outpost of the TV program Star Trek: The Next Generation , but no source for this quote predates the episode's airing in 1987.
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“This has often been attributed to Sun Tzu and sometimes to Petrarch . It comes most directly from a line spoken by Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola :”
My father taught me many things here. He taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Niccolò Machiavelli , who is also sometimes credited, wrote on the subject in The Prince :”
It is easier for the prince to make friends of those men who were contented under the former government, and are therefore his enemies, than of those who, being discontented with it, were favourable to him and encouraged him to seize it.
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“There are also some attributions of a relatable comment to Genghis Khan :”
To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy. This is sometimes attributed to Sun Tzu in combination with the above quote, as well as alone, but it too has not been sourced to any published translation of The Art of War , though it is similar in concept to his famous statement in Ch. 3 : "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles..."
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.”
This is sometimes attributed to Sun Tzu in combination with the above quote, as well as alone, but it too has not been sourced to any published translation of The Art of War , though it is similar in concept to his famous statement in Ch. 3 : "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles..."
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
This has appeared as a variant of Sun Tzu's assertion to "leave a way of escape." Tu Mu, commenting on Sun Tzu, advises, "Show him there is a road to safety..." Ch. 7; it has also recently appeared on the internet attributed to Scipio Africanus , but without citation. (Disputed.)
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Did Sun Tzu say this? No.
“Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.”
Attributed to Sun Tzu in multiple books and internet sites, but this text does not appear in The Art of War and seems to be a more recent creation. (Disputed.)