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Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

Sun Tzu

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Sun Tzu
Military Personnel
Philosopher
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Kingdom of Qi
Sun Wu
Sun Zi
Changqing
War
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Usefully
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More quotes by Sun Tzu

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When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
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The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting.
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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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He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.
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Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning by noonday it has begun to flag and in the evening, his mind is only on returning to camp.
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It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used.
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A clever general... avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods. Disciplined and calm, he awaits the appearance of disorder and hubbub among the enemy. This is the art of retaining self-possession.
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Thus, though I have heard of successful military operations that were clumsy but swift, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
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Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.
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There are routes not to be followed, armies not to be attacked, citadels not to be besieged, territory not to be fought over.
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Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.
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Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow...they have form but are formless. They are skilled in both planning and adapting and need not fear the result of a thousand battles: for they win in advance, defeating those that have already lost.
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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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When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise.
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To perceive victory when it is known to all is not really skilful. Everyone calls victory in battle good, but it is not really good.
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To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.
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One whose troops repeatedly congregate in small groups here and there, whispering together, has lost the masses. One who frequently grants rewards is in deep distress. One who frequently imposes punishments is in great difficulty. One who is at first excessively brutal and then fears the masses is the pinnacle of stupidity.
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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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When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal.
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The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.
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