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POPSThe TAO of war Therefore when the battle is joined, The underdog will win. Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of the Divine, Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe. For this would only cause resistance. Thorn bushes spring up wherever the army has passed. Lean years follow in the wake of a great war, for no thing is so costly. Just do what needs to be done. Never take advantage of power, for that is a public display of weakness and cowardess. Achieve results, But never glory in them. Achieve results, But never boast. Achieve results, But never be proud. Achieve results, Because this is the natural way. Achieve results, But not through violence. Force is followed by loss of strength. This is not the way of the Divine. That which goes against the Divine comes to an early end. The good general knows how not to fight. The supreme general never finds war necessary. The wise soldier who safely returns home simply tills his garden, honors his wife, and listens