--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In war the chief incalculable is the…" description: "\"In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which manifests itself in resistance, which in turn lies in the province of tactics. Strategy has not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_chiefs_in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-hum_464406.png" --- # In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which… ![“In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which manifests itself in resistance, which in turn lies in the province of tactics. Strategy has not to overcome resistance, except from nature. Its purpose is to diminish the possibility of resistance, and it seeks to fulfil this purpose by…” quote by B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_chiefs_in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-hum_464406.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_chiefs_in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-hum_464406.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_chiefs_in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-hum_464406.png) > “In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which manifests itself in resistance, which in turn lies in the province of tactics. Strategy has not to overcome resistance, except from nature. Its purpose is to diminish the possibility of resistance, and it seeks to fulfil this purpose by exploiting the elements of movement and surprise.” [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human will is the hardest factor to predict in war; strategy should aim to reduce resistance by using movement and surprise. **In simple terms:** Human will resists; strategy uses surprise to limit it. Key Takeaway Use surprise and mobility to lower resistance. Themes war strategy human will Mood strategic pragmatic Type military philosophical When to use this quote - military planning - conflict resolution - leadership - negotiation - sports competition Key Concepts tactics surprise movement resistance nature Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders anticipate human will? - When is surprise ineffective? A Different Perspective It may underestimate the role of morale and politics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chief Incalculable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-incalculable-4026693/) [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Diminish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diminish/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Human will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-will/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Overcome Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcome-resistance-1198095/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Provinces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provinces/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [Resistance Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance-nature-4026692/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Strategy Overcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy-overcome-3302949/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [In war, the chief incalculable is the human will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-human-will/) [B. 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