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When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

Sun Tzu

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Sun Tzu
Military Personnel
Philosopher
Strategist
Writer
Kingdom of Qi
Sun Wu
Sun Zi
Changqing
Free
Foe
War
Outlets
Art
Surround
Hard
Desperate
Presses
Press
Army
Strategist
Leave
Outlet

More quotes by Sun Tzu

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Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men.
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Pretend to be weak, so your enemy may grow arrogant.
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Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain
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Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.
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These are the six ways of courting defeat - neglect to estimate the enemy's strength want of authority defective training unjustifiable anger nonobservance of discipline failure to use picked men.
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Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.
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Who can determine where one ends and the other begins?
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If you follow the enemy's shifts and changes, you can always find a way to win.
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To persuade your enemy to (retreat) before the fight is to defeat them even before the battle begins. An enemy made ally is no longer an enemy.
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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 those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy.
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The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting.
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Attack is the secret of defense defense is the planning of an attack.
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Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
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If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.
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Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
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All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable when using our forces, we must seem 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.
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One need not destroy one's enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage.
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In the tumult and uproar, the battle seems chaotic, but there is no disorder, the troops appear to be milling about in circles but cannot be defeated.
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Engage people with what they expect it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.
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