Art of War 6.2
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
故善戰者致人而不致於人
Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The next paragraph makes it clear that 致 does not merely mean, as Tu Mu says, 令敵來就我 “to make the enemy approach me,” but rather to make him go in any direction I please. It is thus practically synonymous with 制. Cf. Tu Mu’s own note on V. § 19. One mark of a great soldier is that he fights on his own terms or fights not at all.
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
- 人rénman, person; people
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.