--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Afonso asked, before either man could…" description: "\"“Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they thought they'd surprise him, but Alfonso was too wily for that.”\" — Fadel Almheiri" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg" --- # Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they… ![“Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they thought they'd surprise him, but Alfonso was too wily for that.” quote by Fadel Almheiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg) > ““Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they thought they'd surprise him, but Alfonso was too wily for that.”” [Fadel Almheiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadel-almheiri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A cunning individual can anticipate others' attempts to surprise him, rendering their plans ineffective. **In simple terms:** Clever people see through surprise plans. Key Takeaway Expect and prepare for others' tactics. Themes cunning surprise anticipation strategy human behavior Mood intriguing reflective Type observation dialogue When to use this quote - team meetings - negotiations - social gatherings - competitive sports Key Concepts psychology social dynamics tactics Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay one step ahead? - What signals reveal hidden cunning? A Different Perspective Surprise can still succeed if executed unpredictably. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afonso Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afonso-asked-6040804/) [Alfonso Wily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alfonso-wily-6040806/) [Asked Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-man-295452/) [Surprise Alfonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-alfonso-6040805/) [Thought Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-surprise-824306/) ## Related quotes > [“What was it? What could it-- His last thought was surprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/what-was-it-what-could-it-his-last-thought-was-surprise/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“I always wanted to work for the USA Space industry as a kid and never thought I would. What a surprise!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-always-wanted-to-work-for-the-usa-space-industry-as-a-kid-and-never/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I took a deep breath. "Are you free tonight?" There was a long, pregnant pause. "What about the man in the dream?" he finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-took-a-deep-breath-are-you-free-tonight-there-was-a-long-pregnant/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [The late F. W. H. Myers used to tell how he asked a man at a dinner table what he thought would happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-late-f-w-h-myers-used-to-tell-how-he-asked-a-man-at-a-dinner/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“How do you do this?" she'd asked a man at the bar, who'd told her he was leaving his wife. "How do you decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-bailey/how-do-you-do-this-she-d-asked-a-man-at-the-bar-who-d-told-her-he-was/) [Anna Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-bailey/) > [A man met a lad weeping. "What do you weep for?" he asked. "I am weeping for my sins," said the lad. "You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/a-man-met-a-lad-weeping-what-do-you-weep-for-he-asked-i-am-weeping/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Whenever I'm with you it's as though someone has reached inside my chest, until the pain is almost more than I can bear. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-martin/whenever-i-m-with-you-it-s-as-though-someone-has-reached-inside-my/) [Monique Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-martin/) > [“Who are you?” Demandred asked. “I am the man who will kill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/who-are-you-demandred-asked-i-am-the-man-who-will-kill/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“But why would they do that? What is to be asked? He was a man who sees into things -- very ordinary things. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/but-why-would-they-do-that-what-is-to-be-asked-he-was-a-man-who-sees/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [Now what happens?" asked the man in black. "We face each other as God intended," Fezzik said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/now-what-happens-asked-the-man-in-black-we-face-each-other-as-god/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“Do you have a leather jacket? One for a ten-year-old boy?" I asked the man selling leather jackets and gloves in Covent Garden, London.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/do-you-have-a-leather-jacket-one-for-a-ten-year-old-boy-i-asked-the/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [Do you have children? she asked. No. Why? The man answered that one had to have faith in the world to have children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-have-children-she-asked-no-why-the-man-answered-that-one-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Did you forget to lock the door, my sweet?” I asked the man at my feet, though I kept my eyes on Magnus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/did-you-forget-to-lock-the-door-my-sweet-i-asked-the-man-at-my-feet/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [To save your world you asked this man to die; would this man, could he see you now, ask why?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-save-your-world-you-asked-this-man-to-die-would-this-man-could-he/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [“Since when,” asked the man, his voice soft and rasping, “do you have to tell the enemy when be has won?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-when-asked-the-man-his-voice-soft-and-rasping-do-you-have-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Asked Man quotes > [“Since when,” asked the man, his voice soft and rasping, “do you have to tell the enemy when be has won?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-when-asked-the-man-his-voice-soft-and-rasping-do-you-have-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To save your world you asked this man to die; would this man, could he see you now, ask why?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-save-your-world-you-asked-this-man-to-die-would-this-man-could-he/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [“Did you forget to lock the door, my sweet?” I asked the man at my feet, though I kept my eyes on Magnus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/did-you-forget-to-lock-the-door-my-sweet-i-asked-the-man-at-my-feet/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [Do you have children? she asked. No. Why? The man answered that one had to have faith in the world to have children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-have-children-she-asked-no-why-the-man-answered-that-one-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Do you have a leather jacket? One for a ten-year-old boy?" I asked the man selling leather jackets and gloves in Covent Garden, London.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/do-you-have-a-leather-jacket-one-for-a-ten-year-old-boy-i-asked-the/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [Now what happens?" asked the man in black. "We face each other as God intended," Fezzik said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/now-what-happens-asked-the-man-in-black-we-face-each-other-as-god/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“But why would they do that? What is to be asked? He was a man who sees into things -- very ordinary things. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/but-why-would-they-do-that-what-is-to-be-asked-he-was-a-man-who-sees/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“Who are you?” Demandred asked. “I am the man who will kill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/who-are-you-demandred-asked-i-am-the-man-who-will-kill/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Whenever I'm with you it's as though someone has reached inside my chest, until the pain is almost more than I can bear. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-martin/whenever-i-m-with-you-it-s-as-though-someone-has-reached-inside-my/) [Monique Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-martin/) > [A man met a lad weeping. "What do you weep for?" he asked. "I am weeping for my sins," said the lad. "You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/a-man-met-a-lad-weeping-what-do-you-weep-for-he-asked-i-am-weeping/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“How do you do this?" she'd asked a man at the bar, who'd told her he was leaving his wife. "How do you decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-bailey/how-do-you-do-this-she-d-asked-a-man-at-the-bar-who-d-told-her-he-was/) [Anna Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-bailey/) > [The late F. W. H. Myers used to tell how he asked a man at a dinner table what he thought would happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-late-f-w-h-myers-used-to-tell-how-he-asked-a-man-at-a-dinner/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I took a deep breath. "Are you free tonight?" There was a long, pregnant pause. "What about the man in the dream?" he finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-took-a-deep-breath-are-you-free-tonight-there-was-a-long-pregnant/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“One Nice Guy asked me, "If a man is talking in the forest and no woman is there to hear him, is he still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glover/one-nice-guy-asked-me-if-a-man-is-talking-in-the-forest-and-no-woman/) [Robert Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glover/) > [“What could you do? Major Major asked himself again. What could you do with a man who looked you squarely in the eye and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/what-could-you-do-major-major-asked-himself-again-what-could-you-do/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) [Browse all 17 Asked Man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-man-295452/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they thought they'd surprise him, but Alfonso was too wily for that.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fadel Almheiri" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadel-almheiri/afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-speak-perhaps-they-thought-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asked Man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadel-almheiri/afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-speak-perhaps-they-thought-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/fadel-almheiri-237112_asked-man_afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-spe_3218420.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Afonso asked, before either man could speak. Perhaps they thought they'd surprise him, but Alfonso was too…” — Fadel Almheiri", "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": "Fadel Almheiri", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadel-almheiri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Afonso asked, before either man could...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadel-almheiri/afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-speak-perhaps-they-thought-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadel-almheiri/afonso-asked-before-either-man-could-speak-perhaps-they-thought-they/#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 } } ] } ```