In the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

Therefore I say: know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.

Pretend to be weak, so your enemy may grow arrogant.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.

Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.

All warfare is based on deception. If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight and if not: split and re-evaluate.

War is a matter of vital importance to the state.