“Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.”

“If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive;and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attachedto you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless.”

“No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify hisown spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, staywhere you are.Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeededby content.But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come againinto being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.”

“We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country -- its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.”

“Whether in an advantageous position or a disadvantageous one, the opposite state should be always present to your mind.”

“Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm”

“You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.”