The Way of the General

“The
five skills are skill in knowing the disposition and power of enemies,
skill in knowing the ways to advance and withdraw, skill in knowing how
empty or how full countries are, skill in knowing nature’s timing and
human affairs, and skill in knowing the features of terrain.

The four
desires are desire for the extraordinary and unexpected in strategy,
desire for thoroughness in security, desire for calm among the masses,
and desire for unity of hearts and minds.”

— Zhuge Liang