---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think it will be shortly afterwards…"
description: "\"We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a terrible thing to gamble with such big stakes in diplomacy without having your master card in yo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg"
---

#  We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a…

![“We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a terrible thing to gamble with such big stakes in diplomacy without having your master card in your hand.” quote by Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg)

> “We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a terrible thing to gamble with such big stakes in diplomacy without having your master card in your hand.”

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Risky diplomatic deals without proper authority can lead to disastrous outcomes.

**In simple terms:** Big stakes need proper backing.

Key Takeaway

Secure authority before high‑risk diplomacy.

Themes

diplomacy risk authority

Mood

cautious serious

Type

political advisory

When to use this quote

- international treaties
- high‑stakes negotiations
- government approvals

Key Concepts

political strategy decision making

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you verify authority before acting?
- What safeguards prevent reckless diplomacy?

A Different Perspective

Without a clear mandate, actions may backfire.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Cards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cards/) [Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gamble/) [Gamble Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gamble-big-6104169/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [Stakes Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes-diplomacy-6104168/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Thing Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-gamble-6104170/) [Think big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-big/) [Think Shortly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-shortly-3166934/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [In these gaudy times, we think we will shortly reach the point where everything is known, but the fact is we are ignoring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rouault/in-these-gaudy-times-we-think-we-will-shortly-reach-the-point-where/)

[Georges Rouault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rouault/)

> [“What you think can determine what you can achieve! So think big to achieve great things!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-vivencio-ballano/what-you-think-can-determine-what-you-can-achieve-so-think-big-to/)

[Dr. Vivencio Ballano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-vivencio-ballano/)

> [When I thought about Detroit, I would think big city, very urban - not a lot of places to walk around, not a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-cummings/when-i-thought-about-detroit-i-would-think-big-city-very-urban-not-a/)

[Erin Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-cummings/)

> [Maybe we should be directing our anger elsewhere - like toward Wall Street. Why is it we never think of Big Business when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/maybe-we-should-be-directing-our-anger-elsewhere-like-toward-wall/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [There is always room in your life for thinking bigger, pushing limits and imagining the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/there-is-always-room-in-your-life-for-thinking-bigger-pushing-limits/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [You don't want your hometown to turn on you and think you're a big turkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/you-don-t-want-your-hometown-to-turn-on-you-and-think-you-re-a-big/)

[Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/)

> [There's no job too big to benefit from a small town person's perspective, I discovered, just as there's no town too small for thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unita-blackwell/there-s-no-job-too-big-to-benefit-from-a-small-town-person-s/)

[Unita Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unita-blackwell/)

> [I have no problem with thinking small. Sometimes you have to think small first in order to think big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahki/i-have-no-problem-with-thinking-small-sometimes-you-have-to-think/)

[Rahki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahki/)

> [One of the best ways to cultivate a possibility mind set is to prompt yourself to dream one size bigger than you normally do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/one-of-the-best-ways-to-cultivate-a-possibility-mind-set-is-to-prompt/)

[John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/)

> [“Think big from the beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehab-atalla/think-big-from-the-beginning/)

[Ehab Atalla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehab-atalla/)

> [Success does not depend upon the size of ur mind it always depend upon the size of ur thoughts so think big for big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-does-not-depend-upon-the-size-of-ur-mind-it-always-depend/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/)

[NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/)

> [“Think big, dream big, stay humble and act now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/think-big-dream-big-stay-humble-and-act-now/)

[Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/)

> [I don't think Alfonso was a big expert on Potter either. He was feeling his way through it more than I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-don-t-think-alfonso-was-a-big-expert-on-potter-either-he-was/)

[David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/)

> [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/)

## More by Henry L. Stimson

> [I told him that my own opinion was that the time now and the method now to deal with Russia was to keep our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/i-told-him-that-my-own-opinion-was-that-the-time-now-and-the-method/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [When all the arguments have been forgotten, this central fact will remain. The two nations fought a single war, and their quarrels were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/when-all-the-arguments-have-been-forgotten-this-central-fact-will/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [The bomb and the entrance of the Russians into the war will certainly have an effect on hastening the victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/the-bomb-and-the-entrance-of-the-russians-into-the-war-will-certainly/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [We had news this morning of another successful atomic bomb being dropped on Nagasaki. These two heavy blows have fallen in quick succession upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-had-news-this-morning-of-another-successful-atomic-bomb-being/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [Marriage should be a duet -- when one sings, the other claps. Joe Murray The only way to make a man trustworthy is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/marriage-should-be-a-duet-when-one-sings-the-other-claps-joe-murray/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [History is often not what actually happened but what is recorded as such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/history-is-often-not-what-actually-happened-but-what-is-recorded-as/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [I told him there was one city that they must not bomb without my permission and that was Kyoto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/i-told-him-there-was-one-city-that-they-must-not-bomb-without-my/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [We debated long over the situation for it is a very difficult question and all of us recognize its difficulty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-debated-long-over-the-situation-for-it-is-a-very-difficult/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [Hope is the mainspring of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/hope-is-the-mainspring-of-life/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [We face the delicate question of the diplomatic fencing to be done so as to be sure Japan is put into the wrong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-face-the-delicate-question-of-the-diplomatic-fencing-to-be-done-so/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [Russia will occupy most of the good food lands of central Europe while we have the industrial portions. We must find some way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/russia-will-occupy-most-of-the-good-food-lands-of-central-europe/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [The only deadly sin I know is cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/the-only-deadly-sin-i-know-is-cynicism/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [Honor begets honor; trust begets trust; faith begets faith; and hope is the mainspring of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/honor-begets-honor-trust-begets-trust-faith-begets-faith-and-hope-is/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [But I think the bomb instead constitutes merely a first step in a new control by man over the forces of nature too revolutionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/but-i-think-the-bomb-instead-constitutes-merely-a-first-step-in-a-new/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

> [The President so far has struck me as a man who is trying hard to keep his balance. He certainly has been very receptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/the-president-so-far-has-struck-me-as-a-man-who-is-trying-hard-to/)

[Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

[Explore all 32 Henry L. Stimson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/)

## 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": "We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a terrible thing to gamble with such big stakes in diplomacy without having your master card in your hand.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry L. Stimson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-but-it-seems-a-terrible-thing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-but-it-seems-a-terrible-thing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/henry-l-stimson-19815_bigs_we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-b_1603738.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We think it will be shortly afterwards, but it seems a terrible thing to gamble with such big stakes in…” — Henry L. Stimson",
                "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": "Henry L. Stimson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We think it will be shortly...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-but-it-seems-a-terrible-thing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/we-think-it-will-be-shortly-afterwards-but-it-seems-a-terrible-thing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
