--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is unquestionably foolish to begin a…" description: "\"“It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don't know the full strength of your adversary.”\" — Claire Kent" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg" --- # It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you… ![“It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don't know the full strength of your adversary.” quote by Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg) > ““It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don't know the full strength of your adversary.”” [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Entering conflict without full knowledge of the opponent’s power is reckless. **In simple terms:** Know your opponent. Key Takeaway Gather intelligence first. Themes strategy knowledge recklessness Mood strategic prudent Type cautionary analytical When to use this quote - military planning - competitive sports - business competition Key Concepts risk assessment information gathering Questions to Reflect On - What sources can you use to learn about rivals? - When is it okay to act with limited data? A Different Perspective Sometimes information is unavailable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversary/) [Ander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ander-8239/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-begin-4737019/) [Lori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lori/) [Strength Adversary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-adversary-4737018/) [Unquestionably Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unquestionably-foolish-4737017/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Here is a piece of advice. Never pay attention to what a man says when he comes. Anything might be blurted out at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/here-is-a-piece-of-advice-never-pay-attention-to-what-a-man-says-when/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Just once I'd like to see you be wrong about something." "Oh, I've been wrong about plenty of things," Ander murmured, pulling her toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/just-once-i-d-like-to-see-you-be-wrong-about-something-oh-i-ve-been/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Me big strong man. Me take woman from behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/me-big-strong-man-me-take-woman-from-behind/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“You don't have to give it up just because he wants you to. And you have every right to stop sex at any point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/you-don-t-have-to-give-it-up-just-because-he-wants-you-to-and-you/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“The truth is that, when it comes to sex, selfishness is pretty typical with guys." "Great. How infinitely comforting." "I don't mean they're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/the-truth-is-that-when-it-comes-to-sex-selfishness-is-pretty-typical/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“You think I can't pull it off, don't you? You think I'll look stupid next to someone like Luke. You think he's too good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bradley-rede/you-think-i-can-t-pull-it-off-don-t-you-you-think-i-ll-look-stupid/) [Laura Bradley Rede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bradley-rede/) > [“The clock is ticking. I should be leaving right now. But what I want to do is take Cicely in my arms and press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bradley-rede/the-clock-is-ticking-i-should-be-leaving-right-now-but-what-i-want-to/) [Laura Bradley Rede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bradley-rede/) > [“Let's go," I said. "Go where?" "On Lori's date with Parker." Now he looked at me over the nerdy spectacles he wore for reading.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/let-s-go-i-said-go-where-on-lori-s-date-with-parker-now-he-looked-at/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“AOAN LOVES LOKI.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/aoan-loves-loki/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I want to have a good vacation before I have to go back home and start my ‘big girl job’,” Lori said, nose deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-chamberlin/i-want-to-have-a-good-vacation-before-i-have-to-go-back-home-and/) [Lindsay Chamberlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-chamberlin/) > [“Taking his hand I said "Fank woo." "Hm " he laughed with his mouth closed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/taking-his-hand-i-said-fank-woo-hm-he-laughed-with-his-mouth-closed/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“You make terrible, terrible plans." "Hey, " I protested. "One of my plans caught you didn't it?" "Yeah, but you meant to catch Sean."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/you-make-terrible-terrible-plans-hey-i-protested-one-of-my-plans/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Her gaze went with her, into a room with walls of frozen earth, and a floor the same, the latter split from corner to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/her-gaze-went-with-her-into-a-room-with-walls-of-frozen-earth-and-a/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“He sighed, then said, "So basically, you're stalking her." "I am NOT stalking her." I insisted. "That's where you come in. If I followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-sighed-then-said-so-basically-you-re-stalking-her-i-am-not/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Hold the freaking phone! I am clearly missing something here,” Lori said, still holding a confused expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-chamberlin/hold-the-freaking-phone-i-am-clearly-missing-something-here-lori-said/) [Lindsay Chamberlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-chamberlin/) ## More by Claire Kent > [“Feeling like a caveman tonight? Or do you still insist you’re immune to such primitive impulses?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/feeling-like-a-caveman-tonight-or-do-you-still-insist-you-re-immune/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“I guess I keep waiting for someone to choose me, to want me, over all the other women he could have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/i-guess-i-keep-waiting-for-someone-to-choose-me-to-want-me-over-all/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Just once I'd like to see you be wrong about something." "Oh, I've been wrong about plenty of things," Ander murmured, pulling her toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/just-once-i-d-like-to-see-you-be-wrong-about-something-oh-i-ve-been/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Here is a piece of advice. Never pay attention to what a man says when he comes. Anything might be blurted out at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/here-is-a-piece-of-advice-never-pay-attention-to-what-a-man-says-when/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“The truth is that, when it comes to sex, selfishness is pretty typical with guys." "Great. How infinitely comforting." "I don't mean they're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/the-truth-is-that-when-it-comes-to-sex-selfishness-is-pretty-typical/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Anyone can write good sex scenes. All you need is some basic knowledge of anatomy, the right vocabulary and some choice reading material. Experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/anyone-can-write-good-sex-scenes-all-you-need-is-some-basic-knowledge/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“You don't have to give it up just because he wants you to. And you have every right to stop sex at any point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/you-don-t-have-to-give-it-up-just-because-he-wants-you-to-and-you/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) > [“Me big strong man. Me take woman from behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/me-big-strong-man-me-take-woman-from-behind/) [Claire Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) [Explore all 9 Claire Kent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/) ## More Adversary quotes > [“Satan wants you to believe that you don't have a choice in the matter. You can't be happy until things go the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-rietzsch/satan-wants-you-to-believe-that-you-don-t-have-a-choice-in-the-matter/) [Lindsey Rietzsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-rietzsch/) > [Anthony Weiner is a crafty and worthy adversary - an unrepentant lefty who is usually a savvy media player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/anthony-weiner-is-a-crafty-and-worthy-adversary-an-unrepentant-lefty/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [My adversary is the world of finance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/my-adversary-is-the-world-of-finance/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [And these two elements are at odds with one another because Freud is utterly adversary to almost all the ways of structuring the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/and-these-two-elements-are-at-odds-with-one-another-because-freud-is/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [You negotiate in bad faith if you do not forgive your adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/you-negotiate-in-bad-faith-if-you-do-not-forgive-your-adversary/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“price. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people. In the best of us there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/price-there-is-no-such-thing-as-pure-good-or-pure-evil-least-of-all/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [If you have an adversary, an opponent with an opposing point of view, give that person a platform, regardless of how extreme it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/if-you-have-an-adversary-an-opponent-with-an-opposing-point-of-view/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Historically, it is important to try to understand your adversary in order to figure out how they are thinking, what they will be doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/historically-it-is-important-to-try-to-understand-your-adversary-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“I've never viewed you as an enemy, more an adversary...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/i-ve-never-viewed-you-as-an-enemy-more-an-adversary/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [“We have first seized the front line of trenches, then the second and the third, and our adversary, shut up in his retreat, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/we-have-first-seized-the-front-line-of-trenches-then-the-second-and/) [Corneliu Zelea Codreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/) > [Only way to eliminate the element of surprise is to know yourself and now your adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/only-way-to-eliminate-the-element-of-surprise-is-to-know-yourself-and/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [“You will never come up against a greater adversary than your own potential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-trekek-the-next-generation-episode-guide-team/you-will-never-come-up-against-a-greater-adversary-than-your-own/) [Star trekek The Next Generation Episode Guide Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-trekek-the-next-generation-episode-guide-team/) > [“Whenever i see someone fighting me for no reason, I'm always highly impressed that God has instigated his anger against me, just as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/whenever-i-see-someone-fighting-me-for-no-reason-i-m-always-highly/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [An exhausted man easily falls prey to the adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/an-exhausted-man-easily-falls-prey-to-the-adversary/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [It is wrong to follow the advice of an adversary; nevertheless it is right to hear it, that you may do the contrary; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saadi/it-is-wrong-to-follow-the-advice-of-an-adversary-nevertheless-it-is/) [Saadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saadi/) [Browse all 142 Adversary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversary/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don't know the full strength of your adversary.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claire Kent" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a-battle-when-you-don-t-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a-battle-when-you-don-t-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/claire-kent-45413_adversary_it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a_2185179.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don't know the full strength of your adversary.” — Claire Kent", "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": "Claire Kent", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-kent/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is unquestionably foolish to begin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a-battle-when-you-don-t-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-kent/it-is-unquestionably-foolish-to-begin-a-battle-when-you-don-t-know/#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 } } ] } ```