--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or…" description: "\"Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked\" — Faith Hunter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png" --- # Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and… ![“Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked” quote by Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png) > “Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked” [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choose gentle influence or aggressive power; both can achieve goals. **In simple terms:** Gentle or forceful methods both work. Key Takeaway Select strategy based on context. Themes power strategy choice Mood thoughtful strategic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - politics - business - personal negotiations Key Concepts soft power military force conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - When is force justified? - How can gentleness be effective? A Different Perspective Aggressive approach may cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big Stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-stick/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Carry A Big Stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carry-a-big-stick/) [Carry Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carry-big-517671/) [Carry Firepower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carry-firepower-619910/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Loudly Carry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loudly-carry-619911/) [Softly Carry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/softly-carry-619912/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Stomp Loudly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stomp-loudly-619913/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-roosevelt/speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick/) [Teddy Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-roosevelt/) > [“Speak softly, but carry a big stick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-marshall/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick/) [Tim Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-marshall/) > [Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-you-will-go-far/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If you want to have any success in politics, sing softly and carry a big guitar,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmie-davis/if-you-want-to-have-any-success-in-politics-sing-softly-and-carry-a/) [Jimmie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmie-davis/) > [I Walk Softly But I Carry A Big Gun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jezreel-scott/i-walk-softly-but-i-carry-a-big-gun/) [Jezreel Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jezreel-scott/) > [Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-can-of-paint/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [You know I love a good family feud and I carry a big stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-i-love-a-good-family-feud-and-i-carry-a-big-stick/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I have always been fond of the West African proverb: ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far,’ ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-have-always-been-fond-of-the-west-african-proverb-speak-softly-and/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [There is a homely old adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." If the American nation will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-a-homely-old-adage-which-runs-speak-softly-and-carry-a-big/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There are ghosts everywhere," Ser Jorah said softly. "We carry them with us wherever we go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-ghosts-everywhere-ser-jorah-said-softly-we-carry-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm going to stay respectful. The team comes first. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize them or myself, so I'll just make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-garrett/i-m-going-to-stay-respectful-the-team-comes-first-i-m-not-going-to-do/) [Myles Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-garrett/) > [“It had been Theodore Roosevelt’s dictum — using a supposed West African proverb — that a successful leader should “speak softly and carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-hamilton/it-had-been-theodore-roosevelt-s-dictum-using-a-supposed-west-african/) [Nigel Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-hamilton/) > [Teddy Roosevelt... once said, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' Jimmy Carter wants to speak loudly and carry a fly swatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/teddy-roosevelt-once-said-speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-jimmy/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [My hero is a guy named Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt used to say, walk softly, talk softly but carry a big stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/my-hero-is-a-guy-named-teddy-roosevelt-teddy-roosevelt-used-to-say/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“Speak softly, but carry a big stick. —Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick-theodore-roosevelt-u-s-president/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## More by Faith Hunter > [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,’” I whispered, the words familiar from Scripture. “But not this time, God. You had your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/vengeance-is-mine-i-will-repay-saith-the-lord-i-whispered-the-words/) [faith hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Put some other things to rights too, she had written, like maybe a hitch in her magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/put-some-other-things-to-rights-too-she-had-written-like-maybe-a/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Humans wore skin and clothes— many clothes instead of fur. Would have been smarter to grow fur, but humans were never smart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/humans-wore-skin-and-clothes-many-clothes-instead-of-fur-would-have/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“I've spent all the years since full of guilt and misery, even though I didn't remember it. I've let it run my thoughts, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/i-ve-spent-all-the-years-since-full-of-guilt-and-misery-even-though-i/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“I would give,” he said, his voice rough, “everything I am to keep you from being hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/i-would-give-he-said-his-voice-rough-everything-i-am-to-keep-you-from/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“I stared at Amaury, maintaining a half-smile and attitude until Joanne got back. Then I said, “I understand we have to talk to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/i-stared-at-amaury-maintaining-a-half-smile-and-attitude-until-joanne/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Silly thing, kissing. Licking better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/silly-thing-kissing-licking-better/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“layers. I was wearing navy pants today, with a navy tee and button-up shirt, and a black jacket and shoes. It was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/layers-i-was-wearing-navy-pants-today-with-a-navy-tee-and-button-up/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“There is no going back. There is no revival of our humans. There is no erasure of our horrors. No healing except of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/there-is-no-going-back-there-is-no-revival-of-our-humans-there-is-no/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Hey, my brother," Eli said, sounding friendly and casual. "Let's chat about this first, before I hafta kill you and then figure out where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/hey-my-brother-eli-said-sounding-friendly-and-casual-let-s-chat-about/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [Chicken, yeah, that's me. I'd rather fight an old rogue-vamp in my underwear, with my bare hands, than deal with relationship problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/chicken-yeah-that-s-me-i-d-rather-fight-an-old-rogue-vamp-in-my/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [You don't have to shout from the mountaintops. Sometimes power comes in a soft, calm, compassionate way, like a quiet warrior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/you-don-t-have-to-shout-from-the-mountaintops-sometimes-power-comes/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Your hands are clean. Not stained with blood. You need not carry the blood of your men. Only their memories.” Eli”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/your-hands-are-clean-not-stained-with-blood-you-need-not-carry-the/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“My brother has absolutely no sense of self-preservation or survival instinct,” Eli said. “He has no idea we’re out here. We could be silver-eating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/my-brother-has-absolutely-no-sense-of-self-preservation-or-survival/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) [Explore all 50 Faith Hunter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Faith Hunter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-stomp-loudly-and-carry-enough/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-stomp-loudly-and-carry-enough/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/faith-hunter-13278_bigs_walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-sto_1647326.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever…” — Faith Hunter", "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": "Faith Hunter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Walk softly and carry a big...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-stomp-loudly-and-carry-enough/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick-or-stomp-loudly-and-carry-enough/#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 } } ] } ```