Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 4 · Strategic Positioning · 軍形

Passage 4-3

故曰: 勝可知, 而不可爲. 不可勝者, 守也; 可勝者, 攻也. 守則不足, 攻則有餘.

Therefore: Victory can be foreseen but cannot be forced. When you cannot be defeated, defend. When you can defeat the enemy, attack. Defend when your forces are insufficient; attack when they are overwhelming.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 4-3:

Know Enemy, Know Self (Extended) Passage 10-16 知吾卒之可以擊, 而不知敵之不可擊, 勝之半也; 知敵之可擊... Reading Enemy Signals Passage 9-11 衆樹動者, 來也. 衆草多障者, 疑也. 鳥起者, 伏也. ... Five Conditions of Victory Passage 3-12 故知勝有五: 知可以戰與不可以戰者勝. 識衆寡之用者勝. 上... 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, ... Full Spectrum Knowledge Passage 10-17 故知兵者, 動而不迷, 擧而不窮. 故曰: 知己知彼, 勝乃... Ground Dictates Behavior Passage 11-30 故兵之情, 圍則禦, 不得已則鬪, 過則從. 是故不知諸侯之...

More from Chapter 4: Strategic Positioning (軍形)

Passage 4-1: Sun Tzu said: In ancient times, skillful warriors first made themselves invincib... Passage 4-2: Thus the skillful warrior can make himself invincible but cannot guarantee the e... 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....