Sun Tzu

"Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust."

"In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good."

"The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."