---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with the drone is it's like…"
description: "\"The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower. You've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to gro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg"
---

#  The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower…

![“The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower. You've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to grow back.” quote by Bruce Riedel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg)

> “The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower. You've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to grow back.”

Bruce Riedel

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Continuous effort is needed to maintain control; neglect leads to resurgence.

**In simple terms:** Never stop maintaining control.

Key Takeaway

Keep vigilance constant.

Themes

security maintenance strategy

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

strategic advisory

When to use this quote

- cybersecurity
- military operations
- project management

Key Concepts

continuous monitoring preventive action

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you sustain long‑term vigilance?
- What signs indicate a need to pause?

A Different Perspective

May cause burnout if unsustainable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Drone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drone/) [Drones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drones/) [Mowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mowers/) [Mowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mowing/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/)

## Related quotes

> [I like to garden, particularly mowing grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-tushingham/i-like-to-garden-particularly-mowing-grass/)

[Rita Tushingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-tushingham/)

> [It's even occurred to me, as a teeny little subversive whisper of a thought, that if we stop mowing the lawn right now, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/it-s-even-occurred-to-me-as-a-teeny-little-subversive-whisper-of-a/)

[Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/)

> [I've got no problem with drone strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/i-ve-got-no-problem-with-drone-strikes/)

[Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/)

> [I use a pick in my hair without force. You use a lawn mower-you got peat moss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/extra-p/i-use-a-pick-in-my-hair-without-force-you-use-a-lawn-mower-you-got/)

[Extra P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/extra-p/)

> [We must not hope to be mowers, And to gather the ripe gold ears, Unless we have first been sowers And water the furrows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-must-not-hope-to-be-mowers-and-to-gather-the-ripe-gold-ears-unless/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Technical progress and more comfortable living permit the systematic inclusion of libidinal components into the realm of commodity production and exchange. But no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/technical-progress-and-more-comfortable-living-permit-the-systematic/)

[Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/)

> [A college president is like the lawn mower at a cemetary: he has a lot of people under him, but they don't pay much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sample/a-college-president-is-like-the-lawn-mower-at-a-cemetary-he-has-a-lot/)

Steven Sample

> [Mine is the Month of Roses; yes, and mine The Month of Marriages! All pleasant sights And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/mine-is-the-month-of-roses-yes-and-mine-the-month-of-marriages-all/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [The key to a nice-looking lawn is a good mower. I recommend one who is muscular and shirtless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine/the-key-to-a-nice-looking-lawn-is-a-good-mower-i-recommend-one-who-is/)

[Maxine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine/)

> [I wouldn't kidnap a man for sex - I'm not saying I couldn't use someone to oil the mower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-wood/i-wouldn-t-kidnap-a-man-for-sex-i-m-not-saying-i-couldn-t-use-someone/)

[Victoria Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-wood/)

> [A rancher is a farmer who farms the public lands with a herd of four-legged lawn mowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-rancher-is-a-farmer-who-farms-the-public-lands-with-a-herd-of-four/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to understand the lawn mower, snowblower and vacuum cleaner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-berger/it-is-amazing-how-quickly-the-kids-learn-to-drive-a-car-yet-are/)

Ben Berger

> [There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat. A key glistening in the ignition. I imagine the top speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jones/there-gleaming-in-the-glow-was-that-ten-horsepower-rotary-engine/)

[George Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jones/)

> [We don't need women. There are plenty other things in the world to have sex with, just go to a sexaholics meeting and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-don-t-need-women-there-are-plenty-other-things-in-the-world-to/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [I have four sons whom I love dearly. Suppose our lawn needed to be cut. I could say, "Boys, can you see the need?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sweeting/i-have-four-sons-whom-i-love-dearly-suppose-our-lawn-needed-to-be-cut/)

[George Sweeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sweeting/)

## More by Bruce Riedel

> [Barack Obama's discovering what a nightmare dealing with hostage problems is - a discovery previously made by Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, i don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/barack-obama-s-discovering-what-a-nightmare-dealing-with-hostage/)

Bruce Riedel

> [Pakistan's political leadership needs to make a clear choice to fight the Taliban decisively, not with half measures, the burden is on Prime Minister…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/pakistan-s-political-leadership-needs-to-make-a-clear-choice-to-fight/)

Bruce Riedel

> [There's plenty of room for finger-pointing for the debacle in Iraq. If it's a problem that the Iraqi military is broken at its core,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/there-s-plenty-of-room-for-finger-pointing-for-the-debacle-in-iraq-if/)

Bruce Riedel

Explore all 4 Bruce Riedel quotes

## More Drone quotes

> [ I became an instant fan of the show \[Underground\] seconds into the opening frames of the pilot. When that drone shot carried us through… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-hinds/i-became-an-instant-fan-of-the-show-underground-seconds-into-the/)

[Aisha Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-hinds/)

> [“It was in Cleveland that Magic Slim became the most successful pornographic film producer in America. His training center was a key link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/it-was-in-cleveland-that-magic-slim-became-the-most-successful/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [Digiphrenia - how technology lets us be in more than one place - and self - at the same time. Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/)

[Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/)

> [President Obama said the small drone that flew over the White House fence yesterday could be bought at any RadioShack. After hearing this, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/president-obama-said-the-small-drone-that-flew-over-the-white-house/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [“There was too much protection in a drone, protection that was also a denial of one’s own humanity, very much like the protection offered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/there-was-too-much-protection-in-a-drone-protection-that-was-also-a/)

[David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/)

> [It takes minutes to play, but 'Unmanned' sticks with you for long after the credits roll. As a part of a two-man team for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/it-takes-minutes-to-play-but-unmanned-sticks-with-you-for-long-after/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [John Brennan has been the mastermind of the drone program. He's the one who'd convene the terror Tuesday meetings at the White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/john-brennan-has-been-the-mastermind-of-the-drone-program-he-s-the/)

[Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/)

> [Few years ago I did a movie, Good Kill, about drone pilots and for four or five months I'm obsessed with the Air Force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/few-years-ago-i-did-a-movie-good-kill-about-drone-pilots-and-for-four/)

[Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/)

> [ When I read the script \[of Good Kill\], it read like a science fiction film. And Andrew \[writer/director Andrew Niccol\] is known for sci-fi.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kravitz/when-i-read-the-script-of-good-kill-it-read-like-a-science-fiction/)

[Zoe Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kravitz/)

> [Until Amazon creates a drone that can cut your hair, there's a physical and real reason to come to the store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-dillon/until-amazon-creates-a-drone-that-can-cut-your-hair-there-s-a/)

[Mary Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-dillon/)

> [“He looked at the drone. “You sure they didn’t issue a factory recall on your batch number?” “Myself,” said the drone sniffily, “I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-looked-at-the-drone-you-sure-they-didn-t-issue-a-factory-recall-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Drone manufacturers have yet to create a drone capable of delivering packages while operating at a decibel level that isn't disruptive to communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/drone-manufacturers-have-yet-to-create-a-drone-capable-of-delivering/)

[Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/)

> [The drone is a very fundamental part of my music, although it's not always present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-johannsson/the-drone-is-a-very-fundamental-part-of-my-music-although-it-s-not/)

[Johann Johannsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-johannsson/)

> [I've got no problem with drone strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/i-ve-got-no-problem-with-drone-strikes/)

[Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/)

> [A lazy man's wife is generally the power behind the drone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/a-lazy-man-s-wife-is-generally-the-power-behind-the-drone/)

[Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/)

[Browse all 51 Drone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drone/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower. You've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to grow back.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bruce Riedel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like-your-lawn-mower-you-ve-got-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Drone"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like-your-lawn-mower-you-ve-got-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/bruce-riedel-73016_drones_the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like_1684115.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The problem with the drone is it's like your lawn mower. You've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute…” — Bruce Riedel",
                "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": "Bruce Riedel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-riedel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The problem with the drone is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like-your-lawn-mower-you-ve-got-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-riedel/the-problem-with-the-drone-is-it-s-like-your-lawn-mower-you-ve-got-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
