In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

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In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. — Sun Tzu · Smartyfair

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

Sun Tzumilitary strategist · Ancient China (traditionally 6th century BC)Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese general believed to have written The Art of War, one of the most famous books ever written about strategy and leadership.1 quote

Source not found yetWisdom

In plain words

When everything is a mess, there is usually a chance hiding in it.

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midst
chaos
there
opportunity

Where these words come from

How sure this is: 36% sureLots of sources credit Sun Tzu with this, and they agree with each other. The book or the speech it first came from hasn't turned up yet.
What turned up: widely attributed; exact wording absent from the complete Art of War (Giles 1910 translation, full text read). Closest genuine passage is VIII.9 — 'in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage' — which this line paraphrases. Paraphrase class.
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026
suntzusaid.comChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026

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gutenberg.orgChecked using claude-fable-5, 22 August 2026Giles 1910 full text fetched + searched this pass: 'chaos' occurs once (V.16, a discipline-under-apparent-disorder point, different sentiment); VIII.9 is the closest genuine ancestor (difficulties -> seize advantage); the popular wording is verbatim nowhere in the work.

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