Appear weak when you are strong.įor instance, creating a scenario where only a small portion of your force is visible can mislead opponents into thinking they outnumber or outarm you. Appearing to be weak, unprepared, or small in size can lure your opponent into traps and make them susceptible to misguided actions or responses. As a well-known translation of Sun Tzu puts it, “ all warfare is based on deception.”ĭeception includes feigning weakness when you are strong or professing ignorance when you are informed. Controlling their beliefs about your abilities helps you understand their assumptions and plan a strategy accordingly. The goal of any conflict is to control your opponent and overcome them. This is one of the most famous Sun Tzu Art of War quotes. Quote #1: Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. We’ll cover some of the most valuable of the Sun Tzu Art of War quotes and what Tzu meant by them. Although his teachings are geared toward actual military conflict, the principles can be useful in all arenas of conflict or competition, even at a personal level.
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Written more than two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu, a Chinese warrior and philosopher, details the nature of competition and psychology of leadership and provides strategies for how to approach both. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a renowned guide for how to engage in conflict and be successful in battle. What are some of the most famous Sun Tzu Art of War quotes? What do they mean? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.