Careful Observation

Whenever an army is wiped out and a commander is lost, there is no case in which the disaster was not brought about by underestimating the enemy. Therefore, when an army goes forth, it must act according to rules; losing the rules brings misfortune. There are fifteen rules: the first is consideration, that is, espionage and reconnaissance must be clear and thorough; the second is interrogation, that is, questioning and verification must be careful and complete; the third is courage, that is, not yielding in the face of a strong enemy; the fourth is integrity, that is, thinking of righteousness first when seeing profit; the fifth is fairness, that is, rewards and punishments must be just and equal; the sixth is endurance, that is, being good at bearing humiliation; the seventh is breadth, that is, being able to accommodate the crowd; the eighth is trustworthiness, that is, valuing one’s promises; the ninth is respect, that is, treating the worthy and capable with courtesy; the tenth is clarity, that is, not accepting slander; the eleventh is caution, that is, not......