Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both.

What it means

Luck and position matter, but a team that holds together matters more. Walls fall when the defenders do not trust each other. Invest in the people before the plan.

The source

"Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both." Mencius said it in Mencius 2B1 (公孫丑下). Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"天時不如地利，地利不如人和。"

Original Chinese, Mencius 2B1 (公孫丑下). Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Mencius (c. 372-289 BC). The most important Confucian after Confucius himself. He argued that human nature is good and that a ruler's first duty is to the people.

Questions

What does "Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both." mean?

Luck and position matter, but a team that holds together matters more. Walls fall when the defenders do not trust each other. Invest in the people before the plan.

Who said "Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both."?

Mencius (c. 372-289 BC). Source: Mencius 2B1 (公孫丑下).

What is the original Chinese?

天時不如地利，地利不如人和。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Good timing beats good ground. People united beat both." (Mencius, Mencius 2B1 (公孫丑下), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/good-timing-beats-good-ground-people-united-beat