“do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat”
“Art forms that appeal to [leftists] tend to focus on ... defeat and despair ... as if there were no hope of accomplishing anything through rational calculation.”
“In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.”
“It might be that to surrender to happiness was to accept defeat, but it was a defeat better than many victories.”
“There are many paths to victory; choose the shortest one! There are many paths to defeat; choose the longest one!”
“There's no way of calculating how many ramifications a story will take on once one spies a gleam of attention in another's eyes.”