It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.

Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory: He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

One who has few must prepare against the enemy; one who has many makes the enemy prepare against him.

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.

Of all rewards none [is] more liberal than those given to secret agents.

All war is deception.