The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting.

The dance of battle is always played to the same impatient rhythm. What begins in a surge of violent motion is always reduced to the perfectly still.

Perfection in war lies in so sapping your opponents will that he surrenders without fighting.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

The true objective of war is peace.