“Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.”
Tip: press → for another quote, C to copy, S to share.
The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
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.
If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.