--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great advantage is drawn from knowledge…" description: "\"Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg" --- # Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary… ![“Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on his weakness.” quote by Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg) > “Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on his weakness.” [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowing an opponent’s intellect and character lets you exploit their weaknesses strategically. **In simple terms:** Understand enemies to exploit their flaws. Key Takeaway Study opponents before engaging. Themes strategy knowledge weakness Mood analytical strategic Type advice historical When to use this quote - war planning - diplomacy - competitive business Key Concepts military intelligence psychology of conflict Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify opponent intelligence? - What ethical limits exist in exploiting weaknesses? A Different Perspective Overreliance on intel can backfire if inaccurate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Adversaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) [Adversary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversary/) [Adversary Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversary-know-1652134/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Great advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-advantage/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-character-1158986/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-weakness-1652135/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [It is narual for enemy to attack on the weaker side of the adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/it-is-narual-for-enemy-to-attack-on-the-weaker-side-of-the-adversary/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-proud-make-every-man-their-adversary-by-pitting-their-intellects/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Know my name is lost, By treason's tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit; Yet am I noble as the adversary I come to cope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/know-my-name-is-lost-by-treason-s-tooth-bare-gnawn-and-canker-bit-yet/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I am looking for the human who admits his flaws Who shocks the adversary By being kinder not stronger What would that be like?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/i-am-looking-for-the-human-who-admits-his-flaws-who-shocks-the/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [I am the nice adversary, the guy that's going to ask the tough questions and is not going to be happy with the quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-am-the-nice-adversary-the-guy-that-s-going-to-ask-the-tough/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [God has not given us the spirit of fear. That comes from the adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/god-has-not-given-us-the-spirit-of-fear-that-comes-from-the-adversary/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [The Adversary seldom loses when you play on his playing field. It's called the home court advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-wright/the-adversary-seldom-loses-when-you-play-on-his-playing-field-it-s/) [Randall Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-wright/) > [Superwoman is the adversary of the women's movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/superwoman-is-the-adversary-of-the-women-s-movement/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [The capacity of any conqueror is more likely than not to be an illusion produced by the incapacity of his adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-capacity-of-any-conqueror-is-more-likely-than-not-to-be-an/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by Frederick The Great > [“If it is bad to debase the innocence of a private individual, whose influence on the affairs of the world is minimal, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-it-is-bad-to-debase-the-innocence-of-a-private-individual-whose/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The Miracle of the House of Brandenburg had come to pass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-miracle-of-the-house-of-brandenburg-had-come-to-pass/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“Compare Holland with Russia; you see only marshy and sterile islands in the former, which rise from the center of the ocean: a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/compare-holland-with-russia-you-see-only-marshy-and-sterile-islands/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [All religions must be tolerated ... every man must go to heaven in his own way. \[Die Religionen müssen alle toleriert werden ... denn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/all-religions-must-be-tolerated-every-man-must-go-to-heaven-in-his/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The people say what they like and then I do what I like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-people-say-what-they-like-and-then-i-do-what-i-like/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The cruel man is of misanthropic temperament, and is a man of moods, oscillating from quiet brooding to sudden explosions. If a man like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-cruel-man-is-of-misanthropic-temperament-and-is-a-man-of-moods/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-more-i-see-of-men-the-better-i-like-my-dog/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [I am up and about when I am ill, and in the most appalling weather. I am on horseback when other men would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/i-am-up-and-about-when-i-am-ill-and-in-the-most-appalling-weather-i/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-i-wished-to-punish-a-province-i-would-have-it-governed-by/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The floods which devastate regions, the fire of the lightning which reduces cities to ashes, the poison of the plague which afflicts provinces, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-floods-which-devastate-regions-the-fire-of-the-lightning-which/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-with-his-heart-in-his-profession-imagines-and-finds-resources/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Be more than you seem to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/be-more-than-you-seem-to-be/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man, who can, in cold blood, hunt and torture a poor, innocent animal, cannot feel much compassion for the distress of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-who-can-in-cold-blood-hunt-and-torture-a-poor-innocent-animal/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-disgusting-to-notice-the-increase-in-the-quantity-of-coffee/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Christianity - An old metaphysical romance, filled with marvels, contradictions, and absurdity, born in the ardent imagination of Orientals, has spread into our Europe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/christianity-an-old-metaphysical-romance-filled-with-marvels/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) [Explore all 78 Frederick The Great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on his weakness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick The Great" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge-of-your-adversary-and-when/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge-of-your-adversary-and-when/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/frederick-the-great-8525_advantage_great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge_2566297.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence…” — Frederick The Great", "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": "Frederick The Great", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Great advantage is drawn from knowledge...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge-of-your-adversary-and-when/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/great-advantage-is-drawn-from-knowledge-of-your-adversary-and-when/#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 } } ] } ```