black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Power without legitimacy tempts tests of strength; legitimacy without power tempts empty posturing.

Henry Kissinger

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

Choice Important Reputation Worth
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
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
The art of crisis management is to raise the stakes to where the adversary will not follow, but in a manner that avoids a tit for tat.
HENRY KISSINGER

Art Avoid Revenge
in international affairs a reputation for reliability is a more important asset than demonstrations of tactical cleverness.
HENRY KISSINGER

Important Reputation Worth
Politicians are like dogs, Their life expectancy is too short for a commitment to be bearable
HENRY KISSINGER

Commitment Dog Expectation Growth Life Politics
Who controls the money controls the world.
HENRY KISSINGER

Control Money Power World
The reason that university politics is so vicious is because stakes are so small
HENRY KISSINGER

Politics Reason
America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests
HENRY KISSINGER

Enemy Friendship
The nice thing about being a celebrity is that if you bore people they think it’s their fault.
HENRY KISSINGER

Funny Mistake People Thinking Yourself
Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There is too much fraternizing with the enemy.
HENRY KISSINGER

Enemy Win
Order always requires a subtle balance of restraint, force, and legitimacy.
HENRY KISSINGER

Force Rule
Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.
HENRY KISSINGER

Appearance Bad Politics
Since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year.
HENRY KISSINGER

Greatness Growth War
A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.
HENRY KISSINGER

Improvement Inspirational Success
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
HENRY KISSINGER

One Liner Power

Power without legitimacy tempts tests of strength; legitimacy without power tempts empty posturing.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Power without legitimacy tempts tests of strength; legitimacy without power tempts empty posturing.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Henry Kissinger Quotes