Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

微乎微乎，至於無形；神乎神乎，至於無聲；故能為敵之司命。

Sun Tzu

The Art of War

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More information about this quote

Topic

Military strategy

Author

Sun Tzu

Source

The Art of War

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Military treatise

Language

Chinese

Time

490 BC 490s BC 5th century BC

Occupation

General Philosopher Writer

From

China Asia

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Sun Tzu. 孫子兵法 [The Art of War]. c. 475 BC, ch. 6.

Current Citation

Sun Tzu. The Art of War: The Essential Translation of the Classic Book of Life, translated by John Minford. Penguin Classics, 2009, ch. 6.

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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote from the 5th century BC

We are lovers of beauty without extravagance, and lovers of wisdom without unmanliness. Wealth is to us is not mere material for vainglory but an opportunity for achievement; and poverty we think it no disgrace to acknowledge but a real degradation to make no effort to overcome.

Pericles

Quoted in Funeral Oration, by Thucydides

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More information about this quote
Topic
Golden mean
Speaker
Pericles

Author

Thucydides
Source
Funeral Oration History of the Peloponnesian War
Medium
Speech
Genre
Political speech Historical literature
Language
Greek
Time
430 BC 430s BC 5th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War. c. 431 BC, bk. 2.

Current Citation

Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War, translated by Martin Hammond. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 2.

Another quote originally in Chinese

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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More information about this quote
Topic
Patience Persistence One step at a time

Author

Lao Tzu
Source
Tao Te Ching
Genre
Philosophical literature Religious literature
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
Chinese
Time
400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC
Authentication Score 0
Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 64.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 64.