War therefore is an act of violence to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.

War is the province of chance. In no sphere of human activity is such a margin to be left for this intruder. It increases the uncertainty of every circumstance, and deranges the course of events.

[The cause of inaction in war] ... is the imperfection of human perception and judgment which is more pronounced in war than anywhere else. We hardly know accurately our own situation at any particular moment while the enemy's, which is concealed from us, must be deduced from very little evidence.

The best strategy is always to be very strong.

With uncertainty in one scale, courage and self-confidence should be thrown into the other to correct the balance. The greater they are, the greater the margin that can be left for accidents.

Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior.

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.