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Some key takeaways:
- The manifestation of rules bringing into order what would otherwise be chaos.
- Sun Tzu teaches that the first principle of war is deception.
- Victory = Knowing the enemy + knowing yourself.
Interesting excerpts:
- "One who knows the enemy and knows oneself, means in 100 battles one will never be in imminent peril of loss/destruction.
- In military operations what is most highly valued is victory. Protracted (extended) waging of war is of no value. (Sun Tzu says laying siege to walled city is last resort; not ideal for anyone. Too much supplies required. Proper war philosophy is to conquer fast and use the enemy's resources as own. One of enemy's resource is worth 10 of own country's resource.)
- Supreme skill is not in 100 victory in 100 battles. Supreme skill lies in subduing enemy's operations and forces without battle.
- “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
- The wise warrior avoids the battle.
- Military intelligence (valuable information) is primary (e.g. scout out weaknesses, plans, tactics, and e.g. misinform enemy). Spies should be rewarded/paid the most out of all.
- The principle is to attack the enemy when/where the enemy does not have sufficient capacity to ward off defeat. (A victorious military is first victorious, and then seeks battle. A defeated military first engages in battle, then strives for victory).
- The pattern of operation of the commanding general is gathering data, putting together intelligence estimates and predictions, governing victory, foraging and reckoning the ease, difficulties and dangers of operations, near and far.
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