Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.

Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve.

One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.

So the principles of warfare are: Do not depend on the enemy not coming, but depend on our readiness against him. Do not depend on the enemy not attacking, but depend on our position that cannot be attacked.

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.