--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We hope that diplomacy works before you…" description: "\"We hope that diplomacy works before you ever use force. The hardest decision a president makes is ever to use force.\" — George W. Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/george-w-bush-64_decision_we-hope-that-diplomacy-works-before-you_2892396.jpg" --- # We hope that diplomacy works before you ever use force… ![“We hope that diplomacy works before you ever use force. The hardest decision a president makes is ever to use force.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/george-w-bush-64_decision_we-hope-that-diplomacy-works-before-you_2892396.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/george-w-bush-64_decision_we-hope-that-diplomacy-works-before-you_2892396.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/george-w-bush-64_decision_we-hope-that-diplomacy-works-before-you_2892396.jpg) > “We hope that diplomacy works before you ever use force. The hardest decision a president makes is ever to use force.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Diplomacy should be tried before force; using force is the hardest presidential decision. **In simple terms:** Try diplomacy before force; using is tough. Key Takeaway Prioritize diplomacy. Themes politics war decision-making Mood serious strategic Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debate - military strategy Key Concepts international relations ethics Questions to Reflect On - When is force justified? - How can diplomacy be improved? A Different Perspective May ignore urgency of threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-president-1388284/) [Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Diplomacy Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy-works-3282113/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Force Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force-hardest-4068509/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Hardest decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest-decision/) [Peacebuilding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peacebuilding/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-force/) ## Related quotes > [“Diplomacy never works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-scrieva/diplomacy-never-works/) [Nadia Scrieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-scrieva/) > [In some cases, the measured use of force is all that protects us from a chaotic world ruled by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/in-some-cases-the-measured-use-of-force-is-all-that-protects-us-from/) [George W. 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Find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-be-a-bottleneck-if-a-matter-is-not-a-decision-for-the-president/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Diplomacy can be a frustrating thing. I think the strategy can work, so long as the force is robust and the rules of engagement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/diplomacy-can-be-a-frustrating-thing-i-think-the-strategy-can-work-so/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The best diplomacy starts with getting to know each other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-best-diplomacy-starts-with-getting-to-know-each-other/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [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. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. 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He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. 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