Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 4 · Strategic Positioning · 軍形

Passage 4-5

見勝, 不過衆人之所知, 非善之善者也. 戰勝, 而天下曰善, 非善之善者也.

Foreseeing victory that anyone could foresee is not the height of excellence. Winning battles that earn universal praise is not the height of excellence.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 4-5:

Assessing Advantage Passage 1-9 故校之以七計, 而塞其情. 曰: 主孰有道, 將孰有能, 天... The Five Fundamental Factors Passage 1-2 故經之以五事, 校之以計, 而索其情. 一曰道, 二曰天, ... Heaven (天) Passage 1-4 天者, 陰陽, 寒暑, 時制也. Proportional Response Passage 3-8 必以全爭於天下, 故兵不頓而利可全, 此謀攻之法也. 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... Seasonal Awareness Passage 9-8 凡地有絶澗, 天井, 天牢, 天羅, 天陷, 天隙, 必極去...

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 4-3: 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 4-6: 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....