# Waging war: the cost of duration: summary

Examines mobilization and supply costs, emphasizing the exhaustion and public burden of a prolonged campaign.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/sunzi/chapter-02-waging-war-the-cost-of-duration

## Source and summary

[Sunzi · The Art of War · Waging war: the cost of duration](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%AD%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%85%B5%E6%B3%95&oldid=7906064#%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%B0%E7%AC%AC%E4%BA%8C)

> 孫子曰：凡用兵之法，馳車千駟，革車千乘，帶甲十萬，千里饋糧，則內外之費，賓客之用，膠漆之材，車甲之奉，日費千金，然後十萬之師舉矣。其用戰也，貴勝，久則鈍兵挫銳，攻城則力屈，久暴師則…

Examines mobilization and supply costs, emphasizing the exhaustion and public burden of a prolonged campaign.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

For an initiative with no demonstrated result, record its recurring burden and decision date; define conditions for continuing, reducing or ending it.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using waging war: the cost of duration, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[The Art of War: a guide to key ideas](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/sunzi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/sunzi/chapter-02-waging-war-the-cost-of-duration.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0