--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are five possible operations for…" description: "\"“There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight. If you cannot fight, defend. If you cannot defend, surrender. If you cannot ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sima-yi-65676_operations_there-are-five-possible-operations-for-a_154089.jpg" --- # There are five possible operations for any army. If you… ![“There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight. If you cannot fight, defend. If you cannot defend, surrender. If you cannot surrender, flee. If you cannot flee, die.” quote by Sima Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sima-yi-65676_operations_there-are-five-possible-operations-for-a_154089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sima-yi-65676_operations_there-are-five-possible-operations-for-a_154089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5f/sima-yi-65676_operations_there-are-five-possible-operations-for-a_154089.jpg) > ““There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight. If you cannot fight, defend. If you cannot defend, surrender. If you cannot surrender, flee. If you cannot flee, die.”” Sima Yi ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Strategic choices in conflict follow a hierarchy from fighting to surrender, highlighting adaptability. **In simple terms:** Follow a hierarchy of actions in conflict. Key Takeaway Adapt strategy to circumstances. Themes strategy conflict adaptability Mood strategic pragmatic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - warfare - business competition - personal disputes - crisis management Key Concepts military theory decision hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - Which option fits your situation? - How flexible are you? A Different Perspective Rigid adherence may ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-yi/there-are-five-possible-operations-for-any-army-if-you-can-fight-2/) Sima Yi > [Attack if you can attack, defend if you can't attack, flee if you can't defend, surrender if you can't flee, die if you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-yi/attack-if-you-can-attack-defend-if-you-can-t-attack-flee-if-you-can-t/) Sima Yi > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [There is a patent office at the seat of government of the universe, whose managers are as much interested in the dispersion of seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-a-patent-office-at-the-seat-of-government-of-the-universe/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You will recall that for months after 9/11, there was incredible support and sympathy for the US. I really hoped and wished they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/you-will-recall-that-for-months-after-9-11-there-was-incredible/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I don't think it's any different if I'm in the U.S. or in London. I look at operations globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/i-don-t-think-it-s-any-different-if-i-m-in-the-u-s-or-in-london-i/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [Except for the scale of the operation, there was nothing unusual about Hitler's massacre of the Jews. Genocide's an old tradition, as human as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/except-for-the-scale-of-the-operation-there-was-nothing-unusual-about/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages, only then will Israel be calm for the next 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-ari/the-goal-of-the-operation-is-to-send-gaza-back-to-the-middle-ages/) Michael Ben-Ari > [Why does a man who is truly in love insist that this relationship must continue and be "lifelong"? Because life is pain and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/why-does-a-man-who-is-truly-in-love-insist-that-this-relationship/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I did not support Operation Desert Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-did-not-support-operation-desert-fox/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) ## More by Sima Yi > [There are five options in war: fight, defend, flee, surrender, or die. You have proven inept at the first two, and now have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-yi/there-are-five-options-in-war-fight-defend-flee-surrender-or-die-you/) Sima Yi > [There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-yi/there-are-five-possible-operations-for-any-army-if-you-can-fight-2/) Sima Yi > [Attack if you can attack, defend if you can't attack, flee if you can't defend, surrender if you can't flee, die if you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sima-yi/attack-if-you-can-attack-defend-if-you-can-t-attack-flee-if-you-can-t/) Sima Yi Explore all 4 Sima Yi quotes ## More Operations quotes > [I did not support Operation Desert Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-did-not-support-operation-desert-fox/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Why does a man who is truly in love insist that this relationship must continue and be "lifelong"? Because life is pain and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/why-does-a-man-who-is-truly-in-love-insist-that-this-relationship/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages, only then will Israel be calm for the next 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-ari/the-goal-of-the-operation-is-to-send-gaza-back-to-the-middle-ages/) Michael Ben-Ari > [Except for the scale of the operation, there was nothing unusual about Hitler's massacre of the Jews. Genocide's an old tradition, as human as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/except-for-the-scale-of-the-operation-there-was-nothing-unusual-about/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [I don't think it's any different if I'm in the U.S. or in London. I look at operations globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/i-don-t-think-it-s-any-different-if-i-m-in-the-u-s-or-in-london-i/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will recall that for months after 9/11, there was incredible support and sympathy for the US. I really hoped and wished they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/you-will-recall-that-for-months-after-9-11-there-was-incredible/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [There is a patent office at the seat of government of the universe, whose managers are as much interested in the dispersion of seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-a-patent-office-at-the-seat-of-government-of-the-universe/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/certainly-in-the-united-states-you-have-a-constituency-in-the-form-of/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [We will apply the experience accumulated in the past four years to the operation of every competition and training venue as well as facilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-jingmin/we-will-apply-the-experience-accumulated-in-the-past-four-years-to/) Liu Jingmin Browse all 1,395 Operations quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are five possible operations for any army. 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