--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the most highly trained and…" description: "\"“Some of the most highly trained and successful military forces – Nelson’s fleet, Montgomery’s 8th Army, Wingate’s Chindits – were worked up to excelle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg" --- # Some of the most highly trained and successful military… ![“Some of the most highly trained and successful military forces – Nelson’s fleet, Montgomery’s 8th Army, Wingate’s Chindits – were worked up to excellence in remote environments, undistracted by the comforts of normal life.” quote by Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg) > ““Some of the most highly trained and successful military forces – Nelson’s fleet, Montgomery’s 8th Army, Wingate’s Chindits – were worked up to excellence in remote environments, undistracted by the comforts of normal life.”” [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence is forged in isolated, challenging environments away from comfort. **In simple terms:** Hardship builds excellence. Key Takeaway Seek challenging conditions for mastery. Themes excellence challenge isolation training Mood determined serious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - leadership development - team building - adventure sports - creative retreats Key Concepts military high performance Questions to Reflect On - How can you create productive challenges? - What comforts hinder your growth? A Different Perspective Isolation can cause burnout without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Normal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-life/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ## Related quotes > [Thus, though I have heard of successful military operations that were clumsy but swift, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/thus-though-i-have-heard-of-successful-military-operations-that-were/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In the years leading up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, thinking about defense was driven by ideas that regarded successful military operations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/in-the-years-leading-up-to-the-wars-in-afghanistan-and-iraq-thinking/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Short, successful military adventures are as effective as the Super Bowl in diverting people's attention from unpleasant truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockwell/short-successful-military-adventures-are-as-effective-as-the-super/) John Stockwell > [Our movement was a great success; I think the most successful military movement of my life. But I expect to receive more credit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stonewall-jackson/our-movement-was-a-great-success-i-think-the-most-successful-military/) [Stonewall Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stonewall-jackson/) > [The military operation in Lebanon was the most successful military operation in recent Israeli history. Many in Israel don't recognise that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/the-military-operation-in-lebanon-was-the-most-successful-military/) [Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/) > [There will be no use of military forces in immigration. There will be no - repeat, no - mass deportations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/there-will-be-no-use-of-military-forces-in-immigration-there-will-be/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [“Military force is another element of power. It provides a nation the capability to impose it's will on another nation through the threat or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-house/military-force-is-another-element-of-power-it-provides-a-nation-the/) John M. House > [We need to transform our military forces by focusing on force posture, not force structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/we-need-to-transform-our-military-forces-by-focusing-on-force-posture/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [And while national military forces have historically resisted the full participation of women soldiers, female talent has found plenty of scope in revolutionary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/and-while-national-military-forces-have-historically-resisted-the/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [The United States is alone among all the countries in that it does not permit US military forces to be under any threat. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-united-states-is-alone-among-all-the-countries-in-that-it-does/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [North Carolina, particularly the 8th District, has long played a key role in our Nation's military forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/north-carolina-particularly-the-8th-district-has-long-played-a-key/) [Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/) > [“The world’s military forces initiate, fund and steer a large part of humanity’s scientific research and technological development.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-world-s-military-forces-initiate-fund-and-steer-a-large-part-of/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [As a soldier and combat veteran, I believe American military forces should only be used in the defense and furtherance of our nation's vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-ernst/as-a-soldier-and-combat-veteran-i-believe-american-military-forces/) [Joni Ernst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-ernst/) > [I have a tremendous amount of respect for military families. To have to worry about your loved ones and still try and live a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/i-have-a-tremendous-amount-of-respect-for-military-families-to-have/) [Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More by Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon > [“steam-tactics saga illustrates that (4) Rationalism, unlike empiricism, tends to assume an accretion of vested interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/steam-tactics-saga-illustrates-that-4-rationalism-unlike-empiricism/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“The one lesson to be learned is the necessity for every officer to cultivate belief in his own judgment, so as not to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/the-one-lesson-to-be-learned-is-the-necessity-for-every-officer-to/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“Many of the more ghastly and idiotic aspects of the Great War were made possible by the coincidence of mass-production and the social religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/many-of-the-more-ghastly-and-idiotic-aspects-of-the-great-war-were/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“The literal meaning of ‘doctrine’ is “what is taught within a group as its corporate beliefs, principles or faith”52 – although “what is learnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/the-literal-meaning-of-doctrine-is-what-is-taught-within-a-group-as/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“(20) There is an inverse law between robust doctrine and the need for signalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/20-there-is-an-inverse-law-between-robust-doctrine-and-the-need-for/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“that (11) Purveyors of technical systems will seek to define performance criteria and trials conditions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/that-11-purveyors-of-technical-systems-will-seek-to-define/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“By the close of the Victorian age Britain’s officer classes were increasingly the inheritors, rather than the winners, of empire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/by-the-close-of-the-victorian-age-britain-s-officer-classes-were/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“can therefore attribute the many reporting failures at Jutland to a cocktail of factors, including: (a) lack of initiative, and ‘seniority knows best’; (b)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/can-therefore-attribute-the-many-reporting-failures-at-jutland-to-a/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“Some of them are blinding glimpses of the obvious (BGOs), several overlap, and I make no claims of discovery. The fundamental proposition – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/some-of-them-are-blinding-glimpses-of-the-obvious-bgos-several/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“My comments are directed at the system which was responsible for their poor performance, not at the officers concerned. I do not recall ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/my-comments-are-directed-at-the-system-which-was-responsible-for/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“(19) Signalling promotes the centralisation of authority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/19-signalling-promotes-the-centralisation-of-authority/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“Signals’ prioritising mechanisms become dislocated in times of overload.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/signals-prioritising-mechanisms-become-dislocated-in-times-of-overload/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“(21) Heavy signalling, like copious orders, is symptomatic of doctrinal deficiency,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/21-heavy-signalling-like-copious-orders-is-symptomatic-of-doctrinal/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“(24) Properly disseminated doctrine offers both the cheapest and the most secure command-and-control method yet devised by man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/24-properly-disseminated-doctrine-offers-both-the-cheapest-and-the/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [“(10) Innovations adopted in accordance with peacetime doctrine, may lock the Fleet into both systems and doctrine which will fail the empirical test of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/10-innovations-adopted-in-accordance-with-peacetime-doctrine-may-lock/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) [Explore all 42 Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some of the most highly trained and successful military forces – Nelson’s fleet, Montgomery’s 8th Army, Wingate’s Chindits – were worked up to excellence in remote environments, undistracted by the comforts of normal life.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-successful-military-forces-nelson/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-successful-military-forces-nelson/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon-156_life_some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-succ_941746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some of the most highly trained and successful military forces – Nelson’s fleet, Montgomery’s 8th Army…” — Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon", "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": "Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Some of the most highly trained...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-successful-military-forces-nelson/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/some-of-the-most-highly-trained-and-successful-military-forces-nelson/#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 } } ] } ```