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in international affairs a reputation for reliability is a more important asset than demonstrations of tactical cleverness.

Henry Kissinger

It’s a pity both sides can’t lose (commenting on Iran-Iraq war, 1980 – 1988)
HENRY KISSINGER

Lose War
For Roosevelt, if a nation was unable or unwilling to act to defend its own interests, it could not expect others to respect them. Inevitably,
HENRY KISSINGER

Expectation Nation Respect
If chess is about the decisive battle, wei qi is about the protracted campaign. The chess player aims for total victory. The wei qi player seeks relative advantage.
HENRY KISSINGER

Decision Seek Victory
Behind the slogans lay an intellectual vacuum.
HENRY KISSINGER

Intellectual Politics
Because complexity inhibits flexibility, early choices are especially crucial.
HENRY KISSINGER

Choice Early Habit Important
Don’t be too ambitious. Do the most important thing you can think of doing every year and then your career will take care of itself.
HENRY KISSINGER

Ambitious Care Career Important Thinking
The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.
HENRY KISSINGER

Absence Mindset
A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone.
HENRY KISSINGER

Alone Deserve Leadership
Americans hold that every problem has a solution; Chinese think that each solution is an admission ticket to a new set of problems.
HENRY KISSINGER

Perspective Problem Thinking
History knows no resting places and no plateaus
HENRY KISSINGER

History Nature Place
A Harvard study has shown that in fifteen cases in history where a rising and an established power interacted, ten ended in war.
HENRY KISSINGER

End Establishment History Power Rise War
There can’t be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full.
HENRY KISSINGER

Funny Future
It is one of history’s ironies that Communism, advertised as a classless society, tended to breed a privileged class of feudal proportions.
HENRY KISSINGER

Class History Oneself
We live in a wondrous time, in which the strong is weak because of his scruples and the weak grows strong because of his audacity.
HENRY KISSINGER

Growth Live Strong Time Weakness
A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.
HENRY KISSINGER

Improvement Inspirational Success
Self-governed nations do not fill their neighbor states with spies.
HENRY KISSINGER

Nation Rule Trust

in international affairs a reputation for reliability is a more important asset than demonstrations of tactical cleverness.

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in international affairs a reputation for reliability is a more important asset than demonstrations of tactical cleverness.

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