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About this quote

What does it mean?
Reckless attacks hurt the attacker more than the defender.
In plain terms
Mindless aggression backfires.
What can you take from it?
Blind attacks fail.

Where it applies

  • military conflict
  • debates

Putting it to work

  • strategic planning
  • negotiation

Questions to consider

  • Is aggression ever useful?

Another view

Sometimes boldness wins.

More from Karl von Clausewitz

  1. ...the side that feels the lesser urge for peace will naturally get the better bargain.

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  2. Our discussion has shown that while in war many different roads can lead to the goal, to the attainment of the political object, fighting is the only possible …

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  3. With uncertainty in one scale, courage and self-confidence should be thrown into the other to correct the balance. The greater they are, the greater the margin…

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