--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The good fighters of old first put…" description: "\"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.\" — Sun Tzu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg" --- # The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the… ![“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” quote by Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg) > “The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Successful fighters first ensure they cannot be defeated, then seize the moment to defeat the enemy. **In simple terms:** Secure safety before attacking; wait for the right chance. Key Takeaway Prepare thoroughly, then act decisively. Themes strategy preparation patience victory Mood strategic motivational Type military self‑help When to use this quote - military planning - business competition - sports coaching - personal goal setting Key Concepts risk management psychological warfare timing Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to act early rather than wait? - How can one balance preparation with timely action? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on waiting may cause missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Defeat Waited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat-waited-655049/) [Defeating Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeating-enemy-233155/) [Defeating the enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeating-the-enemy/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fighters Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighters-old-655045/) [Good Fighters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-fighters-655047/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Waited Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waited-opportunity-655051/) ## Related quotes > [“Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/sun-tzu-said-the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the-possibility/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/ultimate-excellence-lies-not-in-winning-every-battle-but-in-defeating/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/for-them-to-perceive-the-advantage-of-defeating-the-enemy-they-must/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighter-is-able-to-secure-himself-against-defeat-but-cannot/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy. 4. Hence the saying: One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/thus-the-good-fighter-is-able-to-secure-himself-against-defeat-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-the-skillful-fighter-puts-himself-into-a-position-which-makes/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-opportunity-of-defeating-the-enemy-is-provided-by-the-enemy/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/to-secure-ourselves-against-defeat-lies-in-our-own-hands-but-the/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-opportunity-to-secure-ourselves-against-defeat-lies-in-our-own/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/now-in-order-to-kill-the-enemy-our-men-must-be-roused-to-anger-that/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Although we had no hope of defeating the enemy in the battlefield, nevertheless, we fought back to keep the idea of liberation alive. From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/although-we-had-no-hope-of-defeating-the-enemy-in-the-battlefield/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-opportunity-to-secure-ourselves-against-defeat-lies-in-our-own-2/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/making-no-mistakes-is-what-establishes-the-certainty-of-victory-for/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [I waited for the opportunity to be invited to play for the national team of Nigeria, and immediately, they found me worthy; I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-moses/i-waited-for-the-opportunity-to-be-invited-to-play-for-the-national/) [Victor Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-moses/) ## More by Sun Tzu > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-according-to-the-shapes-that-i-lay-the-plans-for-victory-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass what he defends hit him where he does not expect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/go-into-emptiness-strike-voids-bypass-what-he-defends-hit-him-where/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“In a similar way, The Art of War pinpoints anger and greed as fundamental causes of defeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-a-similar-way-the-art-of-war-pinpoints-anger-and-greed-as/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“The PEOPLE being regarded as the essential part of the State, and FOOD as the people's heaven, is it not right that those in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-people-being-regarded-as-the-essential-part-of-the-state-and-food/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/therefore-the-good-fighter-will-be-terrible-in-his-onset-and-prompt/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“So long as victory can be attained,  stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/so-long-as-victory-can-be-attained-stupid-haste-is-preferable-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/you-can-ensure-the-safety-of-your-defense-if-you-only-hold-positions/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/if-we-do-not-wish-to-fight-we-can-prevent-the-enemy-from-engaging-us/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-general-who-wins-a-battle-makes-many-calculations-in-his-temple/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-all-fighting-the-direct-method-may-be-used-for-joining-battle-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/to-begin-by-bluster-but-afterwards-to-take-fright-at-the-enemy-s/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [ They \[spies\] cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/they-spies-cannot-be-properly-managed-without-benevolence-and/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) [Explore all 685 Sun Tzu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) [Maria Lenartowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-lenartowicz/) > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) [Victor J. Dzau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-dzau/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sun Tzu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the-possibility-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defeat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the-possibility-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/sun-tzu-283_defeat_the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-thems_1899492.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an…” — Sun Tzu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sun Tzu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The good fighters of old first...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the-possibility-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-good-fighters-of-old-first-put-themselves-beyond-the-possibility-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```