--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: while the main laws of strategy can be…" description: "\"“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in atte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg" --- # while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly… ![“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual warfare.” quote by Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg) > ““while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual warfare.”” [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. Strategy must be adaptable, guided by enemy actions, not just static rules. **In simple terms:** Strategy needs flexibility based on the opponent. Key Takeaway Adapt plans to real‑world conditions. Themes strategy adaptability warfare Mood analytical pragmatic Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - military planning - business competition - sports tactics Key Concepts enemy behavior situational awareness Questions to Reflect On - How do you monitor opponent moves? - When should you deviate from a plan? A Different Perspective Rigid rules can limit effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy Attempting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-attempting-1765279/) [Laws Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-strategy-1765278/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Strategy Stated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy-stated-1765277/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) ## Related quotes > [So the principles of warfare are: Do not depend on the enemy not coming, but depend on our readiness against him. Do not depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/so-the-principles-of-warfare-are-do-not-depend-on-the-enemy-not/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/he-wins-his-battles-by-making-no-mistakes-making-no-mistakes-is-what/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [All warfare is based on deception. If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight and if not:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/all-warfare-is-based-on-deception-if-your-enemy-is-superior-evade-him/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity; (2) They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straight forwardness; (3) Without subtle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/spies-cannot-be-usefully-employed-without-a-certain-intuitive/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In warfare, there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent will succeed and win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-warfare-there-are-no-constant-conditions-he-who-can-modify-his/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/all-warfare-is-based-on-deception-there-is-no-place-where-espionage/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In warfare, first lay plans which will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin with stratagem but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/in-warfare-first-lay-plans-which-will-ensure-victory-and-then-lead/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/all-warfare-is-based-on-deception-hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/there-is-no-instance-of-a-nation-benefiting-from-prolonged-warfare/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“The factors in warfare are: First, measurement; second, quantity; third, calculation; fourth, comparison; and fifth, victory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-factors-in-warfare-are-first-measurement-second-quantity-third/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“Warfare is the Way of deception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/warfare-is-the-way-of-deception/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/there-is-no-instance-of-a-nation-benefitting-from-prolonged-warfare/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [After we have thought out everything carefully in advance and have sought and found without prejudice the most plausible plan, we must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/after-we-have-thought-out-everything-carefully-in-advance-and-have/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [“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/) > [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/) ## 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 Strategy quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [Opportunities change, strategies change, but people and psychology do not change. If trend-following systems don’t work well, something else will. There’s always money being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-blake/opportunities-change-strategies-change-but-people-and-psychology-do/) [Gil Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-blake/) > [Going to a site with more users seems obviously better to me, but at the same time, having a bland, middle of the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-rudder/going-to-a-site-with-more-users-seems-obviously-better-to-me-but-at/) [Christian Rudder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-rudder/) > [When we shipped 'Borderlands 2,' we didn't ship it with a plan of how the level cap was going to increase. We didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pitchford/when-we-shipped-borderlands-2-we-didn-t-ship-it-with-a-plan-of-how/) [Randy Pitchford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pitchford/) > [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/) > [it's never been a plan to have this or that. It's just where I am in my life, at that time, and where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-gigandet/it-s-never-been-a-plan-to-have-this-or-that-it-s-just-where-i-am-in/) [Cam Gigandet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-gigandet/) > [“a select group of high-performing companies have managed to close the strategy-to-performance gap through better planning and execution. These companies—Barclays, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mankins/a-select-group-of-high-performing-companies-have-managed-to-close-the/) [Michael C. Mankins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mankins/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Have a plan and change it often.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mikulovsky/have-a-plan-and-change-it-often/) [David Mikulovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mikulovsky/) > [Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/stalking-is-an-underrated-startup-strategy/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Help along one another's projects and plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/help-along-one-another-s-projects-and-plans/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) [Browse all 5,045 Strategy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual warfare.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sun Tzu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-stated-clearly-enough-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Strategy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-stated-clearly-enough-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/sun-tzu-283_strategy_while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-s_2579502.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be…” — 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": "“while the main laws of strategy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-stated-clearly-enough-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/while-the-main-laws-of-strategy-can-be-stated-clearly-enough-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```