Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.”
- Date
- c. 5th century BCE
- English wording
- Lionel Giles — Translator · from Classical Chinese
Meaning of “The good fighters of old first put themselves…”
Strong strategy begins by reducing one’s own avoidable vulnerabilities before depending on an opportunity created by the opponent.
Where does it come from?
The Art of War, Chapter IV 'Tactical Dispositions,' section 1, Lionel Giles translation (1910), original scan leaf 82. The sentence about good fighters first making themselves secure against defeat opens the chapter's tactical argument; it remains ancient military-strategy reasoning rather than a universal self-help rule.
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