--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never fight turf on turf. Fight it on the…" description: "\"Never fight turf on turf. Fight it on the basis of ideas.\" — Elliott Abrams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/elliott-abrams-1577_basis_never-fight-turf-on-turf-fight-it-on-the_916533.jpg" --- # Never fight turf on turf. Fight it on the basis of ideas. ![“Never fight turf on turf. Fight it on the basis of ideas.” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/elliott-abrams-1577_basis_never-fight-turf-on-turf-fight-it-on-the_916533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/elliott-abrams-1577_basis_never-fight-turf-on-turf-fight-it-on-the_916533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/elliott-abrams-1577_basis_never-fight-turf-on-turf-fight-it-on-the_916533.jpg) > “Never fight turf on turf. Fight it on the basis of ideas.” [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates fighting conflicts through ideas rather than physical confrontation. **In simple terms:** Use ideas, not force, to resolve disputes. Key Takeaway Prioritize intellectual debate. Themes conflict ideas strategy Mood strategic thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - academic discourse - legal battles Key Concepts philosophy politics negotiation Questions to Reflect On - Can ideas replace physical force? - What are limits of intellectual persuasion? A Different Perspective Ideas alone may lack enforcement power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ## Related quotes > [I'm going to let my friends in the other parties fight over the turf at the cutting edge of the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/i-m-going-to-let-my-friends-in-the-other-parties-fight-over-the-turf/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [I did not receive validation on home turf for years, but I am happier to receive it worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/i-did-not-receive-validation-on-home-turf-for-years-but-i-am-happier/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [All presidents rail against the press. It goes with the turf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/all-presidents-rail-against-the-press-it-goes-with-the-turf/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [I never seem to be able to sell my films correctly in the U.S. The U.S. defends itself on its own turf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-ocelot/i-never-seem-to-be-able-to-sell-my-films-correctly-in-the-u-s-the-u-s/) [Michel Ocelot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-ocelot/) > [There've been a lot more people hurt on astro-turf than grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/there-ve-been-a-lot-more-people-hurt-on-astro-turf-than-grass/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [ I think that \[Jay\] Gould's separate compartments was a purely political ploy to win middle-of-the-road religious people to the science camp. But it's a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-that-jay-gould-s-separate-compartments-was-a-purely-political/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Even galaxy-spanning anarchist utopias of stupefying full-spectrum civilisational power have turf wars within their unacknowledged militaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-galaxy-spanning-anarchist-utopias-of-stupefying-full-spectrum/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Certitude leads to violence. This is a proposition that has an easy application and a difficult one. The easy application is to ideoologues, dogmatists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/certitude-leads-to-violence-this-is-a-proposition-that-has-an-easy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I've always felt very comfortable on stage, even if I screw up. It always felt like a dog, this is my turf, piss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/but-i-ve-always-felt-very-comfortable-on-stage-even-if-i-screw-up-it/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [Today, on our own turf, we face pagan ignorance about God every bit as deep as that which the early church faced in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/today-on-our-own-turf-we-face-pagan-ignorance-about-god-every-bit-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [When you go to plant a flag on the visiting team's field, it's a form of taunting, .. What message are you sending when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-davis/when-you-go-to-plant-a-flag-on-the-visiting-team-s-field-it-s-a-form/) Brad Davis > [The intensity and speed of the ball on turf are very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul/the-intensity-and-speed-of-the-ball-on-turf-are-very-different/) [Raul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul/) > [Playing on turf affects everything, you know, it affects the way the ball rolls, it affects the way the ball bounces, it affects the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-wambach/playing-on-turf-affects-everything-you-know-it-affects-the-way-the/) [Abby Wambach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-wambach/) > [No person who has not spent a period of his life in those 'stark and sullen solitudes that sentinel the Pole' will understand fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-shackleton/no-person-who-has-not-spent-a-period-of-his-life-in-those-stark-and/) [Ernest Shackleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-shackleton/) > [Wall Street is one big turf war. By benefiting one person you are disadvantaging another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-madoff/wall-street-is-one-big-turf-war-by-benefiting-one-person-you-are/) [Bernard Madoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-madoff/) ## More by Elliott Abrams > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. Plenty of Democrats think that those actions are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/refusing-to-lift-sanctions-and-adopting-tougher-rhetoric-toward-iran/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [At the height of the Cold War, when Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviets and their allies and satellites did not shirk human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/at-the-height-of-the-cold-war-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [I personally would not talk to a Jew for Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/i-personally-would-not-talk-to-a-jew-for-jesus/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/when-freedom-of-the-press-is-threatened-the-united-states-should-be/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel bombed the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) [Explore all 226 Elliott Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## More Basis quotes > [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [There are many females in my life I couldn't function on a daily basis without who I've purposely put there that work with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/there-are-many-females-in-my-life-i-couldn-t-function-on-a-daily/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [need is never a good basis for any relationship. it has to be much more than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/need-is-never-a-good-basis-for-any-relationship-it-has-to-be-much/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I'm always thinking as an outsider, and I'm always mindful of whether a company can be impactful on a global basis. Frankly, I'm paranoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-rimer/i-m-always-thinking-as-an-outsider-and-i-m-always-mindful-of-whether/) [Danny Rimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-rimer/) > [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [There’s no basis or anything. I just have this conviction that appeared inside of me which I have to follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jun-mochizuki/there-s-no-basis-or-anything-i-just-have-this-conviction-that/) [Jun Mochizuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jun-mochizuki/) > [When my mother talked about her brother, there was this light in her eyes. I thought, 'This is the basis of a novel.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/when-my-mother-talked-about-her-brother-there-was-this-light-in-her/) [Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/) > [The things I cook and eat on a regular basis are really inexpensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-woodward/the-things-i-cook-and-eat-on-a-regular-basis-are-really-inexpensive/) [Ella Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-woodward/) > [“A religion can be judged only on the basis of another religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-john-sommerville/a-religion-can-be-judged-only-on-the-basis-of-another-religion/) C. John Sommerville > [It is important to keep the filmmakers interested in you so they can offer you everything and anything. We actors are not given work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/it-is-important-to-keep-the-filmmakers-interested-in-you-so-they-can/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [The marketing costs are insane now. So even if you've got a picture like 'Flipped' which cost under $14 million, or $13.5 million, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/the-marketing-costs-are-insane-now-so-even-if-you-ve-got-a-picture/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [Bob Smith from Brooklyn is a guy who sometimes gets hung with problems and fears. Wolfman Jack is a happy-go-lucky guy who knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfman-jack/bob-smith-from-brooklyn-is-a-guy-who-sometimes-gets-hung-with/) [Wolfman Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfman-jack/) > [This radical Islam is a religious-based ideology. And you actually have to, when you deal with the ideology, you have to attack it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/this-radical-islam-is-a-religious-based-ideology-and-you-actually/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [A group of girls didn't like me and picked on me on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-toffolo/a-group-of-girls-didn-t-like-me-and-picked-on-me-on-a-daily-basis/) [Georgia Toffolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-toffolo/) Browse all 352 Basis quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never fight turf on turf. 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