--- title: "5 Constraints Quotes By George Friedman" description: "5 Constraints quotes by George Friedman. Plus more from George Friedman and more Constraints sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/george-friedman-7436_amount_if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-tha_152718.png" --- > [If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/george-friedman-7436_amount_if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-tha_152718.png) > [Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/george-friedman-7436_asks_constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price_535087.jpg) > [Constraint theory argues a number of things. First, that the impossible has to be identified. Second, that the actor is then constrained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-things-first-that-the-impossible/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/george-friedman-7436_actors_constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-thi_893195.jpg) > [ Now if you can recognize and memorize a grandmaster's game, and you have the respect to understand \[Zimbabwean president Robert\] Mugabe who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a-grandmaster-s-game-and-you/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/george-friedman-7436_accidents_now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a_900589.png) > [Constraint theory defines for you what outcomes are possible and what outcomes are impossible. It also eliminates wishful thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-defines-for-you-what-outcomes-are-possible-and-what/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82c/george-friedman-7436_constraint_constraint-theory-defines-for-you-what-o_1310906.png) ## Other authors on Constraints ## More by George Friedman > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“In Geo-Politics, a nation has no permanent allies or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/in-geo-politics-a-nation-has-no-permanent-allies-or-permanent-enemies/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Galvanized people can do careless things. It is in the extreme and emotion-laden moments that distance and coolness are most required. I am tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/galvanized-people-can-do-careless-things-it-is-in-the-extreme-and/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [The Chinese have a long history of slaughtering each other without bothering their neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-chinese-have-a-long-history-of-slaughtering-each-other-without/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It's worked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/italy-spills-over-to-everything-italy-is-a-huge-banking-system-it-has/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It's not that process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/but-every-time-new-powers-emerge-they-have-to-find-their-balance-new/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore \[I refuse\] to say that I will not live in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/we-cannot-anticipate-the-moral-circumstances-under-which-we-will-live/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“While you and I are allowed the luxury of our pain, president isn't. A president must take into account how his citizens feel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/while-you-and-i-are-allowed-the-luxury-of-our-pain-president-isn-t-a/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship \[and behaving\] as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/war-is-an-extraordinary-condition-to-be-in-to-be-for-example-in-the/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [When you're young and going to war, it's a genuinely exciting moment. You are going to risk yourself. On the battlefield, you are suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-re-young-and-going-to-war-it-s-a-genuinely-exciting-moment/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“The Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue demands that one honor one's mother and father. That is not about calling home. It is about this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-fifth-commandment-of-the-decalogue-demands-that-one-honor-one-s/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [If you lose yourself to rage in the complexity of battle, you are going to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-lose-yourself-to-rage-in-the-complexity-of-battle-you-are/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constraints/george-friedman/#itemlist", "name": "5 Constraints Quotes By George Friedman", "numberOfItems": 5, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name for this is constraint theory. It's a nonquantitative model, but it's a field of mathematics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/george-friedman-7436_amount_if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-tha_152718.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/george-friedman-7436_amount_if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-tha_152718.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/george-friedman-7436_amount_if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-tha_152718.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid are not concepts used in forecasting. When people say they're really stupid or they're crazy, that's laziness. That means I don't want to think through their position or about what they're really going to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/george-friedman-7436_asks_constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price_535087.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/george-friedman-7436_asks_constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price_535087.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/george-friedman-7436_asks_constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price_535087.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Constraint theory argues a number of things. First, that the impossible has to be identified. Second, that the actor is then constrained by circumstances to act a certain way. For example, should we invade ISIS? Can we invade ISIS? What would it take to invade ISIS? Once you ask that question you discover the price of that option and then you take a look at American politics and see that the country is probably not prepared to invest the 2 to 3 million people that it would take to defeat ISIS and the insurgency afterwards. All right, so that's not going to happen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-things-first-that-the-impossible/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/george-friedman-7436_actors_constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-thi_893195.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/george-friedman-7436_actors_constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-thi_893195.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/george-friedman-7436_actors_constraint-theory-argues-a-number-of-thi_893195.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Constraint theory argues a number of things. First, that the impossible has to be identified. 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The key to forecasting is to understand both the constraints nations are under and the manner in which the struggle for power shapes leaders.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a-grandmaster-s-game-and-you/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/george-friedman-7436_accidents_now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a_900589.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/george-friedman-7436_accidents_now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a_900589.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/george-friedman-7436_accidents_now-if-you-can-recognize-and-memorize-a_900589.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now if you can recognize and memorize a grandmaster's game, and you have the respect to understand…” — George Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Constraint theory defines for you what outcomes are possible and what outcomes are impossible. 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