He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.

This maxim is attributed to Sun Tzu’s Art of War, a foundational Chinese treatise on strategy traditionally dated to the late Spring and Autumn period (often placed around the 5th century BCE). The work is framed as practical counsel for rulers and commanders engaged in recurrent interstate warfare, emphasizing calculation, intelligence, and economy of force over heroic combat. The line appears in the section commonly translated as “Laying Plans” (Chapter 1), where Sun Tzu lists determinants of victory and defeat. In that context, “knowing when to fight” is part of a broader doctrine of assessing conditions—terrain, morale, logistics, and relative strength—before committing to battle.

The quote argues that victory depends less on bravery than on judgment: the successful commander distinguishes favorable from unfavorable engagements and acts accordingly. “Knowing when he can fight” implies accurate appraisal of one’s own capabilities and the enemy’s, while “when he cannot” underscores restraint—the willingness to avoid battle, withdraw, or delay until conditions change. Strategically, it elevates timing, selectivity, and situational awareness as decisive virtues. More broadly, the aphorism has been applied beyond warfare to politics, business, and personal decision-making: success often comes from choosing contests wisely, conserving resources, and refusing fights that cannot be won on acceptable terms.

1) “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
2) “The general who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.”