A single arrow breaks easily, but three arrows bundled together cannot be broken.
一本の矢は折れやすいが、三本まとめれば折れにくい。
Military Strategists
Mōri Motonari
A Sengoku-era daimyo who transformed a single province into western Japan's dominant power through diplomacy, espionage, and the patient cultivation of alliances (1497-1571). Mori Motonari's 'three arrows' lesson to his sons — that unity multiplies strength — became one of Japan's most famous leadership parables.
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Mōri Motonari's Other Quotes
Related Quotes
凡兵之道莫過乎一。一者能独往独来。
-- Wu Qi
A single arrow is easily broken, but a bundle of arrows cannot be broken.
-- Genghis Khan
Thou shalt not die.
-- Akiko Yosano
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
-- Leo Tolstoy
父上様、母上様、三日とろろ美味しゅうございました。
-- Kōkichi Tsuburaya
Judo is the way of the highest and most efficient use of both physical and mental energy, directed toward mutual benefit.
-- Kanō Jigorō