---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A general in time of war is constantly…"
description: "\"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 disobedienc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_accidents_a-general-in-time-of-war-is-constantly-b_1632474.jpg"
---

#  A general in time of war is constantly bombarded by…

![“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…” quote by Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_accidents_a-general-in-time-of-war-is-constantly-b_1632474.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_accidents_a-general-in-time-of-war-is-constantly-b_1632474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_accidents_a-general-in-time-of-war-is-constantly-b_1632474.jpg)

> “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.”

[Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/)

## About This Quote

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

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.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Bombarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombarded/) [Bombarded by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombarded-by/) [Bombarded Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombarded-reports-496666/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disobedience/) [Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbing/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Errors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errors/) [Exhaustion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhaustion/) [Exposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposed/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Foreseen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreseen/) [Hastiness Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hastiness-disobedience-496665/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Ill will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill-will/) [Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression/) [Impressions Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impressions-disturbing-496663/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Laziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laziness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistaken/) [Negligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negligence/) [Operations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operations/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [Sense Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-duty-481741/) [Sense Of Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-duty/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [True and false](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-and-false/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Constantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-constantly-496664/) [Yield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yield/)

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