Art of War 5.21
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Energy 埶篇
故善戰者求之於埶不責於人故能擇人而任埶
The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.
Hence his ability to pick out the right men and to utilise combined energy.
Lionel Giles's notes
Tu Mu says: “He first of all considers the power of his army in the bulk; afterwards he takes individual talent into account, and uses each man according to his capabilities. He does not demand perfection from the untalented.”
Another reading has 之 instead of 埶. It would be interesting if Capt. Calthrop could tell us where the following occurs in the Chinese: “yet, when an opening or advantage shows, he pushes it to its limits.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 埶yìart
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 責zéone's responsibility, duty
- 人rénman, person; people
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 擇zéto select, to choose
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 任rènto trust, to rely on; to appoint; to bea
Passages with shared wording
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 79
- Art of War 5.10
- Art of War 5.22
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Mencius 4A.18
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.