There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honour, which is sensitive to shame; over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

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Sun Tzu

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

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Sun Tzu

You cannot know if you will be successful or not. You can only prepare for battle and it must be done with all of your heart and with all of your consciousness. In that manner, you will have an edge.

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Sun Tzu

If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are.

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Sun Tzu

He who knows his enemy and himself well will not be defeated easily.

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Sun Tzu

The peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict unnecessary.

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Sun Tzu

To ... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.

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Sun Tzu

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

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Sun Tzu

He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.
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Mencius

A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time.
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Mencius

Let not a man do what his sense of right bids him not to do, nor desire what it forbids him to desire. This is sufficient. The skillful artist will not alter his measures for the sake of a stupid workman.
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Mencius

You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: why not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?

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Xunzi

Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

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Xunzi

I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.

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Xunzi