It is the business of a general to be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled.

When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.

Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.

He who knows his enemy and himself well will not be defeated easily.

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

Too frequent rewards indicate that the general is at the end of his resources; too frequent punishments that he is in acute distress.

Do not press an enemy at bay.