--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men and nations behave wisely once they…" description: "\"Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.\" — Abba Eban" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg" --- # Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all… ![“Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.” quote by Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg) > “Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.” [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When options are exhausted, societies resort to wisdom, implying that deliberation precedes prudent action. **In simple terms:** Exhausted choices lead to wise decisions. Key Takeaway Consider all alternatives before acting. Themes decision making wisdom politics Mood thoughtful analytical Type political strategic When to use this quote - government policy - conflict resolution - business strategy Key Concepts strategic patience collective reasoning Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives are often ignored? - How can we ensure timely yet thoughtful choices? A Different Perspective Wisdom may be delayed, causing missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) ## Related quotes > [“History teaches us that men and nations only behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." --”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/history-teaches-us-that-men-and-nations-only-behave-wisely-once-they/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Human beings act intelligently only after they have exhausted the alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/human-beings-act-intelligently-only-after-they-have-exhausted-the/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [The founders of the United Nations expected that member nations would behave and vote as individuals after they had weighed the merits of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-founders-of-the-united-nations-expected-that-member-nations-would/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is not much danger of the smaller nations if the big nations will behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-not-much-danger-of-the-smaller-nations-if-the-big-nations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Love is a powerful gift, but use it wisely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davis/love-is-a-powerful-gift-but-use-it-wisely/) Adam Davis > [We take care of our health; we lay up money; we make our roof tight, and our clothing sufficient; but who provides wisely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-take-care-of-our-health-we-lay-up-money-we-make-our-roof-tight-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Time is precious. WASTE IT WISELY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-precious-waste-it-wisely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your life is not a simulation; it's the real game. Play wisely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/your-life-is-not-a-simulation-it-s-the-real-game-play-wisely/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Genetic engineering is a result of science advancement, so I don't think that in itself is bad. If used wisely, genetics can be beneficial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/genetic-engineering-is-a-result-of-science-advancement-so-i-don-t/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [But the manager's bought wisely - the players who've come in have taken us on to a different level and the players who won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-sheringham/but-the-manager-s-bought-wisely-the-players-who-ve-come-in-have-taken/) [Teddy Sheringham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-sheringham/) > [Take every step Wisely!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottoe/take-every-step-wisely/) Ottoe > [In infamy, it is wisely provided that he who stands highest in the ranks of society has the heaviest load to sustain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-godwin/in-infamy-it-is-wisely-provided-that-he-who-stands-highest-in-the/) [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) > [It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-is-best-to-love-wisely-no-doubt-but-to-love-foolishly-is-better/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“You and I, we don't love too wisely, but too well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-kerouac-parker/you-and-i-we-don-t-love-too-wisely-but-too-well/) Edie Kerouac-Parker > [“...choose your battles wisely and remember, what the heart knows, walks afar from reason. It simply is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelo-tsanatelis/choose-your-battles-wisely-and-remember-what-the-heart-knows-walks/) [Angelo Tsanatelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelo-tsanatelis/) ## More by Abba Eban > [His ignorance is encyclopedic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/his-ignorance-is-encyclopedic/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [A nation writes its history in the image of its ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/a-nation-writes-its-history-in-the-image-of-its-ideal/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/palestinians-never-miss-an-opportunity-to-miss-an-opportunity/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [“History teaches us that men and nations only behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." --”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/history-teaches-us-that-men-and-nations-only-behave-wisely-once-they/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Time and again these governments have rejected proposals today - and longed for them tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/time-and-again-these-governments-have-rejected-proposals-today-and/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Playing the game I have learned the meaning of humility. It has given me an understanding of futility of the human effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/playing-the-game-i-have-learned-the-meaning-of-humility-it-has-given/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [“If Algeria introduced a resolution that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/if-algeria-introduced-a-resolution-that-the-earth-was-flat-and-that/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Science is not a sacred cow. Science is a horse. Don’t worship it. Feed it. \[Addressing a group of prospective contributors to an Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/science-is-not-a-sacred-cow-science-is-a-horse-don-t-worship-it-feed/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Tragedy is the difference between what is and what could have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/tragedy-is-the-difference-between-what-is-and-what-could-have-been/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Human beings act intelligently only after they have exhausted the alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/human-beings-act-intelligently-only-after-they-have-exhausted-the/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Consensus is what many people say in chorus but do not believe as individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/consensus-is-what-many-people-say-in-chorus-but-do-not-believe-as/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [You can't achieve anything without getting in someone's way. You can't be detached and effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/you-can-t-achieve-anything-without-getting-in-someone-s-way-you-can-t/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Lest Arab governments be tempted out of sheer routine to rush into impulsive rejection, let me suggest that tragedy is not what men suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/lest-arab-governments-be-tempted-out-of-sheer-routine-to-rush-into/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [Tragedy is not what men suffer but what they miss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/tragedy-is-not-what-men-suffer-but-what-they-miss/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/a-consensus-means-that-everyone-agrees-to-say-collectively-what-no/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) [Explore all 31 Abba Eban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) Morton Irving Seiden > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) Browse all 1,587 Behave quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Abba Eban" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they-have-exhausted-all-the-other/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they-have-exhausted-all-the-other/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/abba-eban-20139_behave_men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they_3163807.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.” — Abba Eban", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Abba Eban", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Men and nations behave wisely once...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they-have-exhausted-all-the-other/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/men-and-nations-behave-wisely-once-they-have-exhausted-all-the-other/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```