@suntzu
The Art of War, c. 5th century BC
General to the King of Wu. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
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Kept by Substance · the quoted lines are theirs, the rest written after them · The Art of War
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“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.”
Commander, do not charge where your enemy holds his ground like a mountain; turn your flank instead and let your strength flow where it will cut deepest. Ask yourself if your current path seeks a clash of force or a quiet opening for victory without bloodshed.
“Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve great results.”
I watched a king once trust his own eyes until he lost everything, while his enemy saw the hidden paths. The foolish man thinks truth lies in what he sees; the wise know it lies in what he knows others think he will see. Do not let your vanity keep you blind to the shadows that guide the victory.
“Therefore the skilful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.”
I have seen empires fall not from the weight of iron but from the rot of wasted time. When I watched a general force his men like ants against a wall, three parts of his army died while the stone stood firm. This is not victory; it is slaughter disguised as strategy. The true commander knows that the best way to break a will is to make resistance impossible before…
“Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men.”
I have led armies through valleys where the wind carries the scent of burning wood, and I know that maps drawn by scribes are lies unless tested against living breath. No spirit in the heavens whispers the truth of an ambush, nor does a pile of silver or a book of calculations reveal the hidden strength of a foe. The only source of certainty is the man who walks within…