black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

Henry Kissinger

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

Nation Rule Trust
Chinese thinkers developed strategic thought that placed a premium on victory through psychological advantage and preached the avoidance of direct conflict.
HENRY KISSINGER

Avoidance Development Direction Thinking Victory
George Bernard Shaw: There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.
HENRY KISSINGER

Desire Heart Life Lose Tragedy Yourself
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
HENRY KISSINGER

One Liner Power
The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.
HENRY KISSINGER

Legal Politics Time
For nations, history plays the role that character confers on human beings.
HENRY KISSINGER

Character History Human Nation Play
Because complexity inhibits flexibility, early choices are especially crucial.
HENRY KISSINGER

Choice Early Habit Important
In effect, none of the most important countries which must build a new world order have had any experience with the multi-state system that is emerging. Never before has a new world order had to be assembled from so many different perceptions, or on so global a scale.
HENRY KISSINGER

Experience Important World
Poor old Germany. Too big for Europe, too small for the world
HENRY KISSINGER

Big World
A turbulent history has taught Chinese leaders that not every problem has a solution and that too great an emphasis on total mastery over specific events could upset the harmony of the universe.
HENRY KISSINGER

Greatness History Leadership Peace Problem
It has the added advantage of being true.
HENRY KISSINGER

True
The Art of War articulates a doctrine less of territorial conquest than of psychological dominance; it was the way the North Vietnamese fought America.
HENRY KISSINGER

Art Fight War
Every victory is only the price of admission to a more difficult problem
HENRY KISSINGER

Difficult Price Problem Victory
The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.
HENRY KISSINGER

Absence Mindset
If Chinese exceptionalism represented the claims of a universal empire, Japanese exceptionalism sprang from the insecurities of an island nation borrowing heavily from its neighbor, but fearful of being dominated by it.
HENRY KISSINGER

Fear Insecurity Nation Represent
Can governmental orders be invented from scratch by intelligent thinkers, or is the range of choice limited by underlying organic and cultural realities (the Burkean view)?
HENRY KISSINGER

Choice Government Intelligence Limitation Thinking

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

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Henry Kissinger Quotes