Passage 12-7
夫戰勝攻取, 而不修其功者凶, 命曰費留. 故曰: 明主慮之, 良將修之.
Winning battles and seizing objectives but failing to consolidate gains is disastrous—called “wasteful delay.” The wise ruler considers this; the good general acts on it.
"No profit, no move" (非利不動) — the rational calculus that must precede every strategic action. Movement without purpose is movement toward defeat.
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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 12-7:
The Cost of War
Passage 2-1
孫子曰: 凡用兵之法, 馳車千駟, 革車千乘, 帶甲十萬, ...
The Stakes of Strategy
Passage 1-1
孫子曰: 兵者, 國之大事, 死生之地, 存亡之道, 不可不...
No Prolonged War Benefits
Passage 2-3
夫鈍兵, 挫銳, 屈力, 殫貨, 則諸侯乘其弊而起, 雖有智...
Swift Victory
Passage 2-6
善用兵者, 役不再籍, 糧不三載, 取用於國, 因糧於敵, ...
Preserving the Whole
Passage 3-1
孫子曰, 凡用兵之法, 全國爲上, 破國次之; 全軍爲上, ...
Invincibility First
Passage 4-1
孫子曰: 昔之善戰者, 先爲不可勝, 以侍敵之可勝. 不可勝...