Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 4 · Strategic Positioning · 軍形

Passage 4-1

孫子曰: 昔之善戰者, 先爲不可勝, 以侍敵之可勝. 不可勝在己, 可勝在敵.

Sun Tzu said: In ancient times, skillful warriors first made themselves invincible, then awaited the enemy’s vulnerability. Invincibility depends on oneself; vulnerability lies with the enemy.

Invincibility First (先為不可勝): "First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy's moment of vulnerability." Defense before offense, position before action.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 4-1:

Victory Without Fighting Passage 3-3 是故, 百戰百勝, 非善之善者也; 不戰而屈人之兵, 善之善... First to the Battlefield Passage 6-1 孫子曰, 凡先處戰地而待敵者佚, 後處戰地而趨戰者勞. 故善... 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, ... Striking the Empty Passage 5-3 故善出奇者, 無窮如天地, 不竭如江河, 終而復始, 日月是... 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, ... Know Enemy, Know Self Passage 3-13 故曰, 知彼知己, 百戰不殆; 不知彼而知己, 一勝一負, ...

More from Chapter 4: Strategic Positioning (軍形)

Passage 4-2: Thus the skillful warrior can make himself invincible but cannot guarantee the e... Passage 4-3: Therefore: Victory can be foreseen but cannot be forced. When you cannot be defe... Passage 4-4: Those skilled in defense conceal themselves as if beneath the nine-layered earth... Passage 4-5: Foreseeing victory that anyone could foresee is not the height of excellence. Wi... Passage 4-6: Lifting an autumn hair requires no great strength. Seeing the sun and moon requi... Passage 4-7: In ancient times, those called skilled in war won victories that were easily won... Passage 4-8: Their victories were inevitable—inevitable because they established the conditio... Passage 4-9: The master warrior takes a position where defeat is impossible and never misses ... Passage 4-10: Those skilled in war cultivate the Way and preserve the laws. Thus they can gove... Passage 4-11: The principles of warfare: 1. Measurement (dù)—assessing dimensions 2. Estimatio... Passage 4-12: A victorious army is like a heavy weight against a light one—a yì against a zhū....