wisdom from the excellent facebook application, art of war quotes...

"To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence."
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Chapter IX: The Army on the March

oh and this one too.

"We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides."
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Chapter XI: The Nine Situations