Sun Tzu

"Be silent as the forest."

"Be fierce as fire."

"Be immovable as the mountain."

"Move like flowing water."

"Strike like thunder."

"All warfare is based on deception."

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt."

"Keep your friends close."

"Foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits, inferred from analogies, or deduced from astronomical calculations."

"The rise and fall of empires is determined by the quality of their leadership."

"Treat your men as you would treat your own beloved sons."

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valley."

"Water shapes its course based on the ground over which it flows; the soldier shapes his victory based on the foe whom he is facing."

"The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a matter of dividing up their numbers."

"When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move."

"Perfect discipline is not possible without perfect knowledge of the ground and of distances."

"He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his adversary is at ease; he who comes later to the field and rushes into the fight is weary."

"The supreme principle of war is to arrive at your objective without a fight."

"Reward and punishment are the sinews of power."

"When capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity."

"Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy."

"All warfare is based on deception."

"Speed is the essence of war."

"If you wisely invest in the present, you are building a prosperous future."

"Dig the well before you are thirsty."

"When strong, appear weak. When weak, appear strong."

"The way to victory is through understanding what motivates your enemy."

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."