33 Strategies Of War — Quote 197
“In resolving a conflict with am enemy you do not know well, it is always best to protect yourself by playing the warrior yourself : negotiate while advancing. There will always be time to back off and fix things if you go too far. But if you fall prey to a warrior, you will be unable to recoup anything. In a world in which there are more warriors, you must be willing to wield the sword as well, even if you are a shopkeeper at heart.”
