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Named source · c. 5th century BCE

The Art of War — Tactical Dispositions Quotes by Sun Tzu: Context & Meanings

1 quotation linked to The Art of War — Tactical Dispositions by or associated with Sun Tzu, with source notes, explanations and related topics.

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Lionel Giles — Translator · Classical Chinese → English

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“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.”

Strong strategy begins by reducing one’s own avoidable vulnerabilities before depending on an opportunity created by the opponent.

Source note: The Art of War, Chapter IV “Tactical Dispositions,” Lionel Giles translation.