80 Sun Tzu Quotes About Art of War, Leadership & Life

Looking for famous quotes by Sun Tzu? We have rounded up the best collection of Sun Tzu quotes, sayings (with images and pictures) to inspire you with his wise words about love, life, war, and leadership.

Sun Tzu was one of the most influential Chinese military generals and Taoist philosophers, explains the importance to defeat mental negativity and anguish that creeps into existence and lowers your energies.

Also See: Best Lao Tzu Quotes

He is best known for as a author for highly influential work of military strategy, ‘The Art of War,’. He is credited to have a great impact on both Western and Eastern philosophy.

Also See: Famous Buddha Quotes

These powerful quotes collected from a variety of sources over the years, about the art of war will train you how to master your mind and defeat any battle that comes your way in life. We have made 3 sections for this post –

Famous Sun Tzu Quotes
Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes
Sun Tzu Quotes, Pictures, Images

Famous Sun Tzu Quotes

“You have to believe in yourself.” — Sun Tzu
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” — Sun Tzu
“He wins his battles by making no mistakes.” — Sun Tzu
“Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” — Sun Tzu
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” — Sun Tzu
“Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” — Sun Tzu
“Sweat more during peace: bleed less during war.” — Sun Tzu
“Correct your mistake as soon as you have found it.” — Sun Tzu
“Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength.” — Sun Tzu
“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics.” — Sun Tzu
“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” — Sun Tzu
“Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems.” — Sun Tzu
“Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?” — Sun Tzu
“Rewards for good service should not be deferred a single day.” — Sun Tzu
“Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” — Sun Tzu
“If you are strong, appear weak. But if you are weak, appear strong.” — Sun Tzu
“If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.” — Sun Tzu
“Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” — Sun Tzu
“If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.” — Sun Tzu
“The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.” — Sun Tzu
“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.” — Sun Tzu
“Every animal with blood in its veins and horns on its head will fight when it is attacked.” — Sun Tzu
“If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.” — Sun Tzu
“Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of the trigger.” — Sun Tzu
“Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness.” — Sun Tzu
“What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease.” — Sun Tzu
“When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.” — Sun Tzu
“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” — Sun Tzu
“Using order to deal with the disorderly, using calm to deal with the clamorous, is mastering the heart.” — Sun Tzu
“When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.” — Sun Tzu
“The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts.” — Sun Tzu
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” — Sun Tzu
“Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.” — Sun Tzu
“The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.” — Sun Tzu
“All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” — Sun Tzu
“Those who win every battle are not really skillful—those who render others’ armies helpless without fighting are the best of all.” — Sun Tzu
“Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.” — Sun Tzu
“The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.” — Sun Tzu
“Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise, for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.” — Sun Tzu
“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.” — Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Art Of War Quotes

“All war is deception.” — Sun Tzu
“All is fair in love and war.” — Sun Tzu
“Do not press an enemy at bay.” — Sun Tzu
“Know yourself and you will win all battles.” — Sun Tzu
“Mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.” — Sun Tzu
“Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer.” — Sun Tzu
“All wars are won or lost before they are ever fought.” — Sun Tzu
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” — Sun Tzu
“A wise general makes a point of foraging of the enemy.” — Sun Tzu
“One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.” — Sun Tzu
“The height of strategy is to attack your opponent’s strategy.” — Sun Tzu
“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” — Sun Tzu
“If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.” — Sun Tzu
“When your opponent gives you an opening, be swift as a hare.” — Sun Tzu
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” — Sun Tzu
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” — Sun Tzu
“It is more important to out-think your enemy, than to outfight him.” — Sun Tzu
“There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.” — Sun Tzu
“He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.” — Sun Tzu
“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” — Sun Tzu
“The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” — Sun Tzu
“If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” — Sun Tzu
“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.” — Sun Tzu
“Those skilled in warfare move the enemy, and are not moved by the enemy.” — Sun Tzu
“Know the enemy, know yourself and victory is never in doubt, not in a hundred battles.” — Sun Tzu
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” — Sun Tzu
“It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.” — Sun Tzu
“For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.” — Sun Tzu
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” — Sun Tzu
“Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.” — Sun Tzu
“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” — Sun Tzu
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” — Sun Tzu
“The skillful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.” — Sun Tzu
“If the enemy know not where he will be attacked, he must prepare in every quarter, and so be everywhere weak.” — Sun Tzu
“Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.” — Sun Tzu
“The victorious army is victorious first and seeks battle later; the defeated army seeks battle first and seeks victory later.” — Sun Tzu
“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” — Sun Tzu
“Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. And if it is unavoidable and you do have to engage, then make sure you engage it on your terms, not on your enemy’s terms.” — Sun Tzu
“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.” — Sun Tzu
“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.” — Sun Tzu