the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

So it is that good warriors take their stance on ground where they cannot lose, and do not overlook conditions that make an opponent prone to defeat.

The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.

The successful person has unusual skill at dealing with conflict and ensuring the best outcome for all.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow...they have form but are formless. They are skilled in both planning and adapting and need not fear the result of a thousand battles: for they win in advance, defeating those that have already lost.

We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporising ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.