Sun Tzu Quotes
The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
Sun Tzu, c. 400 BC, Chinese writer of the Age of Warring States, The Art of War
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Versions of this proverb appear in many countries. Although the proverb originated in reference to military affairs, it is applicable to politics, leadership, management, and in the modern world is beginning to be applied to individuals and their careers and futures.
Clausewitz’book is one of the political classics that is read bby the George by almost every national leader and senior military officer in the world. This basic principle was totally violated George W. Bush and his administration team when, in the aftermath of September 11, they ordered the invasion of Afghanistan, and then before they could get that nation stabilized, ordered the invasion of Iraq which was very successful but there was no plan for the occupation after the initial victory. The Bush administration not only did not plan the last step of either war, but they had almost no planning for the any of the steps after the initial invasions.
His aggressive tactics which had served him so well in the West got his army into trouble at the Second Battle of Bull Run, where he was out maneuvered by Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. He was sent back to the West.
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing. The name Sun Tzu by which he is best known in the Western World is an honorific which means "Master Sun".
