--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Otto would pull the trigger at the…" description: "\"“Otto would pull the trigger at the slightest provocation and you, Michael, would agonize aver its morality even if your life were threatened. I'm the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/arthur-c-clarke-640_kill_otto-would-pull-the-trigger-at-the-sligh_2660958.jpg" --- # Otto would pull the trigger at the slightest provocation… ![“Otto would pull the trigger at the slightest provocation and you, Michael, would agonize aver its morality even if your life were threatened. I'm the tiebreaker.” quote by Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/arthur-c-clarke-640_kill_otto-would-pull-the-trigger-at-the-sligh_2660958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/arthur-c-clarke-640_kill_otto-would-pull-the-trigger-at-the-sligh_2660958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c73/arthur-c-clarke-640_kill_otto-would-pull-the-trigger-at-the-sligh_2660958.jpg) > ““Otto would pull the trigger at the slightest provocation and you, Michael, would agonize aver its morality even if your life were threatened. I'm the tiebreaker.”” [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character is ready to act violently at minor provocation, while another agonizes over morality, revealing conflict between impulse and conscience. **In simple terms:** One wants to act; another doubts morality. Key Takeaway Balance instinct with ethical reflection. Themes conflict morality violence Mood tense thoughtful Type fictional philosophical When to use this quote - high‑stress situations - law enforcement - personal relationships Key Concepts impulse control ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - When should you trust instinct over analysis? - How do you resolve moral paralysis? A Different Perspective Moral hesitation can impede necessary action in emergencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Funnily enough, it is the subject one dreads talking about at length one ends up talking about at length, often without the slightest provocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/funnily-enough-it-is-the-subject-one-dreads-talking-about-at-length/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [So natural to man is the practice of violence that our indulgence allows the slightest provocation, the most disputable right, as a sufficient ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/so-natural-to-man-is-the-practice-of-violence-that-our-indulgence/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [I don't think anybody was ever up 6-2 and would lose the tiebreaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/i-don-t-think-anybody-was-ever-up-6-2-and-would-lose-the-tiebreaker/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [Not too long ago, my opponent made a prediction. 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