“do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat”

“Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory;  show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat.”

“Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory is won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.”

“If we wish to wrest an advantage from the enemy, we must not fix our minds on that alone, but allow for the possibility of the enemy also doing some harm to us, and let this enter as a factor into our calculations.”

“If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.”

“These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.”

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”