Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.

If I wish to engage, then the enemy, for all his high ramparts and deep moat, cannot avoid engagement; I attack that which he is obliged to rescue.

The line between disorder and order lies in logistics.

To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.

There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total.

Thus, though I have heard of successful military operations that were clumsy but swift, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.