--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're up against a smart opponent…" description: "\"If you're up against a smart opponent, make him think himself to death.\" — C. J. Cherryh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/c-j-cherryh-2-26595_death_if-you-re-up-against-a-smart-opponent-ma_2963315.jpg" --- # If you're up against a smart opponent, make him think… ![“If you're up against a smart opponent, make him think himself to death.” quote by C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/c-j-cherryh-2-26595_death_if-you-re-up-against-a-smart-opponent-ma_2963315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/c-j-cherryh-2-26595_death_if-you-re-up-against-a-smart-opponent-ma_2963315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/c-j-cherryh-2-26595_death_if-you-re-up-against-a-smart-opponent-ma_2963315.jpg) > “If you're up against a smart opponent, make him think himself to death.” [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Outsmarting a smart opponent by exhausting their mental resources. **In simple terms:** Outthink opponents to win. Key Takeaway Strategic mental pressure. Themes strategy intelligence competition Mood strategic analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - debates - business negotiations - sports tactics Key Concepts game theory psychological warfare Questions to Reflect On - How to sustain mental stamina? - When is mental pressure ethical? A Different Perspective May cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Make Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-think/) [Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent/) [Opponent Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent-make-1280970/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-opponent-4524236/) [Think Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-death/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The more you attack, the more your opponent will make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-garcia/the-more-you-attack-the-more-your-opponent-will-make-mistakes/) [Marcelo Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo-garcia/) > [Staying focused is key. You have to focus on your opponent and make sure you're training right so your body and mind are ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermall-charlo/staying-focused-is-key-you-have-to-focus-on-your-opponent-and-make/) [Jermall Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermall-charlo/) > [If you can take pride in what you're doing on defense, it's going to be pretty hard for that offensive opponent to go by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-terry/if-you-can-take-pride-in-what-you-re-doing-on-defense-it-s-going-to/) [Jason Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-terry/) > [“We are Sex Bob-Omb and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-lee-o-malley/we-are-sex-bob-omb-and-we-are-here-to-make-you-think-about-death-and/) [Bryan Lee O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-lee-o-malley/) > [I keep on fighting as long as my opponent can make a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-keep-on-fighting-as-long-as-my-opponent-can-make-a-mistake/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Any opponent can make life tough for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-navas/any-opponent-can-make-life-tough-for-you/) [Jesus Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-navas/) > [Boxing is like chess. You encourage your opponent to make mistakes so you can capitalise on it. People think you get in the ring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-adams/boxing-is-like-chess-you-encourage-your-opponent-to-make-mistakes-so/) [Nicola Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-adams/) > [I'm not scared of any opponent. I fight who I want to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/i-m-not-scared-of-any-opponent-i-fight-who-i-want-to-fight/) [Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/) > [I never fear my opponent, for me he only represents a new challenge to conquer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyoto-machida/i-never-fear-my-opponent-for-me-he-only-represents-a-new-challenge-to/) [Lyoto Machida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyoto-machida/) > [My opponent is Short and the match will be short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/my-opponent-is-short-and-the-match-will-be-short/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Fire only at close range, and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-boelcke/fire-only-at-close-range-and-only-when-your-opponent-is-properly-in/) [Oswald Boelcke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-boelcke/) > [If your opponent is playing several shots in vain attempts to extricate himself from a bunker, do not stand near him and audibly count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-vardon/if-your-opponent-is-playing-several-shots-in-vain-attempts-to/) [Harry Vardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-vardon/) > [One of the objectives of opening play is to try to surprise your opponent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmar-mednis/one-of-the-objectives-of-opening-play-is-to-try-to-surprise-your/) [Edmar Mednis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmar-mednis/) > [Lack of fairness to an opponent is essentially a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/lack-of-fairness-to-an-opponent-is-essentially-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [A Warrior of Light never resorts to trickery, but he knows how to distract his opponent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-warrior-of-light-never-resorts-to-trickery-but-he-knows-how-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by C. J. Cherryh > [A warrior is free to be a hero and pull off daring do and the soldier is irresponsible if he does it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/a-warrior-is-free-to-be-a-hero-and-pull-off-daring-do-and-the-soldier/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [For me the purest and truest art in the world is science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/for-me-the-purest-and-truest-art-in-the-world-is-science-fiction/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/it-is-perfectly-okay-to-write-garbage-as-long-as-you-edit-brilliantly/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Writing day and night for months… that’s hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/writing-day-and-night-for-months-that-s-hard/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Inevitably the party trying to resolve a matter had to contend with the party most willing to exploit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/inevitably-the-party-trying-to-resolve-a-matter-had-to-contend-with/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Rattle a lawyer's door and you get more lawyers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/rattle-a-lawyer-s-door-and-you-get-more-lawyers/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Culture is how biology responds and makes its living conditions better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/culture-is-how-biology-responds-and-makes-its-living-conditions-better/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [I most fear stupid people. Stupid people will do anything. Truly smart people will do only what is logical for them to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/i-most-fear-stupid-people-stupid-people-will-do-anything-truly-smart/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [There are three kinds of people I've found: those who think the universe is good, those who believe it's corrupt, and those who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/there-are-three-kinds-of-people-i-ve-found-those-who-think-the/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Trade isn't about goods. Trade is about information. Goods sit in the warehouse until information moves them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/trade-isn-t-about-goods-trade-is-about-information-goods-sit-in-the/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [My worlds are complex, and often suggest more than one story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/my-worlds-are-complex-and-often-suggest-more-than-one-story/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Never start a war with something you can't talk to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/never-start-a-war-with-something-you-can-t-talk-to/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [I do not think any SFWA communication should come anywhere NEAR the internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/i-do-not-think-any-sfwa-communication-should-come-anywhere-near-the/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Average people didn't analyze what they thought: they thought they thought, and half of it was gut reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/average-people-didn-t-analyze-what-they-thought-they-thought-they/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) > [Poisoning rarely happens in a well-managed kitchen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/poisoning-rarely-happens-in-a-well-managed-kitchen/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) [Explore all 21 C. J. Cherryh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're up against a smart opponent, make him think himself to death.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. J. 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