There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged

Sun Tzu, the ancient master of strategy, declared with the clarity of eternal wisdom: “There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” These words, spoken over two thousand years ago, echo across every battlefield in history. They remind us that while war may sometimes be forced upon a people, to let it drag on is to invite ruin. The sword may defend, but if kept unsheathed too long, it cuts the very hand that wields it.

To Sun Tzu, warfare was a terrible necessity, never a prize. In his Art of War, he taught that the greatest victory is the swift one, won with wisdom and cunning rather than with endless blood. A short war preserves the spirit of the soldiers, the wealth of the people, and the strength of the nation. But a long war drains the treasury, weakens the people, and breeds despair. No matter the cause, no matter the courage, a prolonged struggle leaves even the victors hollow, their triumph poisoned by exhaustion.

History bears this truth with unrelenting testimony. Consider the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. It dragged on for nearly thirty years, consuming Greece in fire and famine. Athens, once the beacon of democracy and culture, was left shattered; Sparta, though declared victorious, emerged weakened and soon fell to new powers. Neither city-state prospered; both were diminished. The prolonged warfare brought no benefit, only decline. Sun Tzu’s words, though written centuries earlier in China, fit this tragedy like a prophecy.

Or look to the First World War. At its beginning, leaders promised a quick campaign, “over by Christmas.” Instead, it stretched into four years of trenches, gas, and unending slaughter. By its end, empires had fallen, millions were dead, and the victors themselves were broken in body and spirit. The war’s length did not bring stability but sowed the seeds for the Second World War. Once more, the truth of Sun Tzu resounded: a nation gains nothing from prolonged warfare, only wounds that fester into future conflicts.

The meaning of the master’s words lies not only in the realm of nations, but in the lives of individuals. For are there not prolonged battles in our hearts — grudges, feuds, rivalries — that consume us without end? We imagine we are winning when we cling to anger, but in truth, we are drained, our spirits weakened, our joy diminished. Just as nations are ruined by endless war, so too are souls undone by endless strife. The wise man seeks resolution quickly, lest his spirit be wasted in a war without end.

Thus the lesson is both ancient and urgent. When conflict arises, do not delay its end. Seek swift resolution, whether by victory, compromise, or peace. Do not let pride stretch a quarrel into years of bitterness, nor let ambition turn a defensive struggle into endless conquest. For the longer a battle lasts, the more it consumes — and in the end, even the so-called victor is diminished.

Therefore, beloved, carry this truth with you: no nation, no people, no person has ever truly prospered from prolonged warfare. The glory of endless battle is illusion; the fruit of war is always ash. Seek the wisdom of Sun Tzu: to win swiftly if you must fight, but above all, to avoid fighting where peace can be won. For in peace lies prosperity, and in restraint lies true strength.