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When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

Sun Tzu

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Sun Tzu
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In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.
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The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.
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So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.
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With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.
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One who speaks deferentially but increases his preparations will advance. One who speaks belligerently and advances hastily will retreat.
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Without harmony in the State, no military expedition can be undertaken without harmony in the army, no battle array can be formed.
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When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped to go rolling down.
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Should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.
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Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.
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Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
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If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot. If the officers are angry, it means that the men are weary.
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All war is based on deception.
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Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
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If I determine the enemy's disposition of forces while I have no perceptible form, I can concentrate my forces while the enemy is fragmented. The pinnacle of military deployment approaches the formless: if it is formless, then even the deepest spy cannot discern it nor the wise make plans against it.
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