--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What action could not do, diplomacy might…" description: "\"“What action could not do, diplomacy might accomplish. Or, failing that, money.”\" — Claudia Gray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/claudia-gray-2020_diplomacy_what-action-could-not-do-diplomacy-might_2037715.png" --- # What action could not do, diplomacy might accomplish. Or… ![“What action could not do, diplomacy might accomplish. Or, failing that, money.” quote by Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/claudia-gray-2020_diplomacy_what-action-could-not-do-diplomacy-might_2037715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/claudia-gray-2020_diplomacy_what-action-could-not-do-diplomacy-might_2037715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/claudia-gray-2020_diplomacy_what-action-could-not-do-diplomacy-might_2037715.png) > ““What action could not do, diplomacy might accomplish. Or, failing that, money.”” [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that diplomacy can achieve what force cannot, and if that fails, financial influence may succeed. **In simple terms:** Diplomacy and money can solve problems where force fails. Key Takeaway Leverage negotiation and resources wisely. Themes diplomacy power money conflict resolution strategy Mood analytical pragmatic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - international negotiations - corporate disputes - political crises Key Concepts soft power economic leverage negotiation tactics Questions to Reflect On - When is diplomacy insufficient? - What are the moral limits of using money? A Different Perspective Reliance on money may raise ethical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Diplomacy-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy-quotes/) [Peacebuilding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peacebuilding/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) [Star-wars-quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars-quote/) ## Related quotes > [“So, sure – maybe I don’t know how I’m going to change the world yet… but whatever it is, it begins with what we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-jos-older/so-sure-maybe-i-don-t-know-how-i-m-going-to-change-the-world-yet-but/) [Daniel José Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-jos-older/) > [“Things fall apart, Ciena. Our parents saw the Republic self-destruct. 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Rep. of the Congo are full of ambitions and they will bring their own downfall in the near future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/some-neighbouring-countries-of-dem-rep-of-the-congo-are-full-of/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“ For every ebb there’s a flow; for every flow there’s an ebb. The full moon must wane just as the new moon must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/for-every-ebb-there-s-a-flow-for-every-flow-there-s-an-ebb-the-full/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) ## More by Claudia Gray > [“That's what the dead would tell the living, if they could - to grab hold of joy whenever it comes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/that-s-what-the-dead-would-tell-the-living-if-they-could-to-grab-hold/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [I was the only one who knew the whole truth about Lucas--who he really was, and what we felt for each other. The truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/i-was-the-only-one-who-knew-the-whole-truth-about-lucas-who-he-really/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [What kind of life am i supposed to have without you?You were the one good thing,the only good thing i ever found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/what-kind-of-life-am-i-supposed-to-have-without-you-you-were-the-one/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [I wonder how much of the rest of his clothes I could convince him to take off, then wonder where that thought came from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/i-wonder-how-much-of-the-rest-of-his-clothes-i-could-convince-him-to/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“You could stay in my bed." That conjured up all kinds of dangerous thoughts. Stop it, he told himself. Her teddy bear is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/you-could-stay-in-my-bed-that-conjured-up-all-kinds-of-dangerous/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“The impatience you felt before kissing someone you liked wasn't nearly as bad as the impatience you felt afterward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/the-impatience-you-felt-before-kissing-someone-you-liked-wasn-t/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [I know we only talked once-" "But it meant something to you." Our eyes met for only an instant. "It meant something to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/i-know-we-only-talked-once-but-it-meant-something-to-you-our-eyes-met/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“As you can see, it´s More with one o, not two - pet peeve of mine". "More as in give me more". Madison´s crush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/as-you-can-see-it-s-more-with-one-o-not-two-pet-peeve-of-mine-more-as/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“The universe is in fact a multiverse. Countless quantum realities exist, all layered within one another; we'll call these dimensions, for short.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/the-universe-is-in-fact-a-multiverse-countless-quantum-realities/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [Thunder rumbled. My heart beat faster. I turned away from Evernight for the last time and looked back at the flower as it trembled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/thunder-rumbled-my-heart-beat-faster-i-turned-away-from-evernight-for/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [Lucas seemed to have realized our prediciment at the same moment I had. "I haven't got my credit card with me. Kinda left in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/lucas-seemed-to-have-realized-our-prediciment-at-the-same-moment-i/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [If you loved someone, you couldn’t let lies come between you. No matter what happened—even if you’d already lost each other forever—you owed each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/if-you-loved-someone-you-couldn-t-let-lies-come-between-you-no-matter/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“Wow, your mom pulls her act together pretty quick." "Her act is always together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/wow-your-mom-pulls-her-act-together-pretty-quick-her-act-is-always/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“There is a place just past terror where it turns into calm...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/there-is-a-place-just-past-terror-where-it-turns-into-calm/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“Beauty is no guarantee of goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/beauty-is-no-guarantee-of-goodness/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) [Explore all 182 Claudia Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) ## More Diplomacy quotes > [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. 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Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [War is always a failure. It means we've failed in diplomacy and we've failed in talking to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/war-is-always-a-failure-it-means-we-ve-failed-in-diplomacy-and-we-ve/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Russia may very well be front and center again in 2020 as they were in 2016 regarding interference in America's presidential election. 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