Accidents Quote by Carl von Clausewitz
“A general in time of war is constantly bombarded by reports both true and false; by errors arising from fear or negligence or hastiness; by disobedience born of right or wrong interpretations, of ill will; of a proper or mistaken sense of duty; of laziness; or of exhaustion; and by accident that nobody could have foreseen. In short, he is exposed to countless impressions, most of them disturbing, few of them encouraging. ... If a man were to yield to these pressures, he would never complete an operation.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: On War, 1832
A wartime commander faces endless, often conflicting information, making decisive action difficult.
In simple terms: Commanders receive many confusing reports.
Key Takeaway
Develop reliable information filters.
Themes
war
leadership
information overload
Mood
analytical
cautious
Type
military
strategic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- military planning
- crisis response
- strategic meetings
- intelligence analysis
Key Concepts
decision theory
cognitive bias
stress management
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders verify critical intel quickly?
- What habits reduce decision fatigue?
A Different Perspective
Even with filters, unpredictable events can still derail plans.
![“We’re constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. [But] we should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I don’t want to be like the other animals watching the planet go down the drain. I’ll be a hummingbird, I’ll do…” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/25d/wangari-maathai-2479_animal_we-re-constantly-being-bombarded-by-prob_1333608.jpg)
![“Rather than comparing [war] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities; and it is still closer to politics, which in turn may be considered as a kind of commerce on a larger scale.” quote by Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c35/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_activity_rather-than-comparing-war-to-art-we-coul_21236.jpg)
