Pretend to be in confusion, and capture him. If there are defects, give an appearance of perfection, and awe the enemy. Pretend to be strong, and so cause the enemy to avoid you. Make him angry, and confuse his plans. Pretend to be inferior, and cause him to despise you.
If he be at ease, tire him out ; if united make divisions in his camp. Attack weak points, and appear in unexpected places. Since these are the methods of the successful strategist, they cannot be learnt beforehand.[1]
When, before battle, in council assembled before the shrine of the ancestors, consider well the plan of campaign. For thereby victory may be gained.
They who haplessly fight without plan are courting disaster.
The resourceful in stratagem win; the poor in stratagem do not conquer; hopeless indeed are they without it.
I, knowing these things, and seeing both armies,
can foretell the victor.
- ↑ There are different opinions as to the meaning of this passage; none are quite satisfactory.
