--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who excel in war first cultivate…" description: "\"Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/sun-tzu-283_firsts_those-who-excel-in-war-first-cultivate-t_1440244.jpg" --- # Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity… ![“Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invincible.” quote by Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/sun-tzu-283_firsts_those-who-excel-in-war-first-cultivate-t_1440244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/sun-tzu-283_firsts_those-who-excel-in-war-first-cultivate-t_1440244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/sun-tzu-283_firsts_those-who-excel-in-war-first-cultivate-t_1440244.jpg) > “Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invincible.” [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. A strong state must first develop moral character and uphold law, which makes it unbeatable Key Takeaway Moral development and law create invincibility Themes Cultivate humanity and enforce institutions Mood determined pragmatic Type strategic historical When to use this quote - philosophy - political theory Key Concepts ethics governance strength resilience Practical Applications - nation building - military leadership - policy making - conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal virtue with institutional power? - What laws best reflect a society’s humanity? A Different Perspective Neglecting internal virtue can still lead to collapse ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cultivate Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultivate-humanity-5151661/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments Invincible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments-invincible-5151662/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Maintain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-maintain-5151660/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Invincible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invincible/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Make Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-governments-2311533/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Cultivate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-cultivate-5151659/) ## Related quotes > [We need to find a way to empower citizens to make governments take notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-goldin/we-need-to-find-a-way-to-empower-citizens-to-make-governments-take/) [Ian Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-goldin/) > [Governments do not make ideals, but ideals make governments. 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