---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My center is giving way, my right is…"
description: "\"My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack!\" — James Keller"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png"
---

#  My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left…

![“My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack!” quote by James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png)

> “My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack!”

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker describes a precarious position that paradoxically offers a strategic advantage, prompting an aggressive response.

**In simple terms:** Even when things seem unstable, opportunity may arise.

Key Takeaway

Seize the moment despite uncertainty.

Themes

strategy confidence risk opportunity

Mood

determined assertive

Type

motivational strategic

When to use this quote

- battlefield leadership
- crisis management
- competitive sports
- business negotiations

Key Concepts

military tactics psychology of conflict decision making

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assess when a risky position is truly advantageous?
- What safeguards can prevent overconfidence in volatile contexts?

A Different Perspective

Such confidence can lead to reckless overextension if the situation is misread.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-way/) [Military strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-strategy/)

## Related quotes

> [In one of the decisive battles of World War I, disastrous reports poured into the headquarters of Marshal Foch, the commander of the Allied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/in-one-of-the-decisive-battles-of-world-war-i-disastrous-reports/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [Since the events of September 11, we've rightfully changed our military strategy so we're now taking the fight to those individuals who aim to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gerlach/since-the-events-of-september-11-we-ve-rightfully-changed-our/)

[Jim Gerlach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gerlach/)

> [Our poetry emulates the recent progress in military strategy: Our army's strength is the foot soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/our-poetry-emulates-the-recent-progress-in-military-strategy-our-army/)

[Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/)

> [The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-difficulty-of-tactical-maneuvering-consists-in-turning-the/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [To be a good reporter, writing about war, you have to write about the people. It's not about the tanks or the RPGs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/to-be-a-good-reporter-writing-about-war-you-have-to-write-about-the/)

[Janine di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/)

> [“Politics must drive military strategy as strategy drives tactics. Only when politics fail do we fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-v-larson/politics-must-drive-military-strategy-as-strategy-drives-tactics-only/)

[B.V. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-v-larson/)

> [I don't like writing grand battles and I find it tiresome to research weapons development and military strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-don-t-like-writing-grand-battles-and-i-find-it-tiresome-to-research/)

[Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/)

> [“The Blitzkrieg strategy was designed to exploit the flinch of the enemy—he must collapse at the sight of what appears to be overwhelming force.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-blitzkrieg-strategy-was-designed-to-exploit-the-flinch-of-the/)

[Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/)

> [Since the events of September 11, weve rightfully changed our military strategy so were now taking the fight to those individuals who aim to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gerlach/since-the-events-of-september-11-weve-rightfully-changed-our-military/)

[Jim Gerlach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gerlach/)

> [“Well before Trump, we had wars fought as televised entertainment. The 1990 Gulf War was dubbed the first video-game war, complete with its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/well-before-trump-we-had-wars-fought-as-televised-entertainment-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [He who wishes to fight must first count the cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/he-who-wishes-to-fight-must-first-count-the-cost/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [“One of the most frustrating aspects of the Vietnam war from the Army's point of view is that as far as logistics and tactics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-most-frustrating-aspects-of-the-vietnam-war-from-the-army/)

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

> [“the Home Secretary, a young man of thirty-seven, impossible to ignore, who, from his inappropriate post, had pelted the Prime Minister during the crisis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-w-tuchman/the-home-secretary-a-young-man-of-thirty-seven-impossible-to-ignore/)

[Barbara W. Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-w-tuchman/)

> ['Bombshell' is a remarkable podcast. In the course of it, three people who know what they are talking about cover 'military strategy, White House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hepworth/bombshell-is-a-remarkable-podcast-in-the-course-of-it-three-people/)

[David Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hepworth/)

> [To get an Army that's already fighting a war to change in stride to a total different military strategy on the ground - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/to-get-an-army-that-s-already-fighting-a-war-to-change-in-stride-to-a/)

[Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/)

## More by James Keller

> [I think we'll have a good potato crop this year," a newspaper editor told his housekeeper one morning. "No such thing," asserted the housekeeper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/i-think-we-ll-have-a-good-potato-crop-this-year-a-newspaper-editor/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [The Metropolitan Museum of Art some time ago held a display of contemporary art at which $52,000 was awarded to American sculptors, painters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-some-time-ago-held-a-display-of/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [A young lady had only one complaint about her good husband: "My husband always praises me to other people," she said, "Often I hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-young-lady-had-only-one-complaint-about-her-good-husband-my-husband/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [A psychologist once asked a group of college students to jot down, in thirty seconds, the initials of the people they disliked. Some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-psychologist-once-asked-a-group-of-college-students-to-jot-down-in/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [As she read the ten commandments for the first time, a Chinese woman said, "I don't see how anyone can very well get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/as-she-read-the-ten-commandments-for-the-first-time-a-chinese-woman/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/hope-cherishes-no-illusions-nor-does-it-yield-to-cynicism/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [A young lady went into a bookstore and asked the clerk for Irving Stone's book, "Immoral Wife." The title is "Immortal Wife," the clerk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-young-lady-went-into-a-bookstore-and-asked-the-clerk-for-irving/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [An old Arabian fable tells of a prince imprisoned in a castle which had thirteen windows. Twelve of these windows overlooked lovely scenes, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/an-old-arabian-fable-tells-of-a-prince-imprisoned-in-a-castle-which/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of the various stops,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudson-and-manhattan-transit/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [What this country needs is more people to inspire others with confidence, and fewer people to discourage any initiative in the right direction more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/what-this-country-needs-is-more-people-to-inspire-others-with/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/hope-regards-problems-small-or-large-as-opportunities/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [A high-school girl, seated next to a famous astronomer at a dinner party, struck up a conversation with him by asking: "What do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-high-school-girl-seated-next-to-a-famous-astronomer-at-a-dinner/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [During a heavy storm at sea a nervous woman passenger on a large liner went to the captain, seeking reassurance. "Captain," she asked tremulously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/during-a-heavy-storm-at-sea-a-nervous-woman-passenger-on-a-large/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [Three hundred years ago a prisoner condemned to the Tower of London carved on the wall of his cell this sentiment to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/three-hundred-years-ago-a-prisoner-condemned-to-the-tower-of-london/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

> [A man on a hiking trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains came to the top of a hill and saw, just below the crest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-man-on-a-hiking-trip-through-the-blue-ridge-mountains-came-to-the/)

[James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

[Explore all 33 James Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/)

## More Attack quotes

> [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/)

[Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/)

> [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/)

[Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/)

> [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/)

[Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/)

> [The best way to counter-attack a hater is to make it blatantly obvious that their attack has had no impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-best-way-to-counter-attack-a-hater-is-to-make-it-blatantly/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

> [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Everything has got a place in my house. If something is moved I get a panic attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/everything-has-got-a-place-in-my-house-if-something-is-moved-i-get-a/)

[Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/)

> [I mean, it's not just the rappers, you know what i'm saying? People want to attack anybody that's a large figure, you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-notorious-b-i-g/i-mean-it-s-not-just-the-rappers-you-know-what-i-m-saying-people-want/)

[The Notorious B.I.G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-notorious-b-i-g/)

> [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [Free speech has a very small constituency on the modern campus, particularly if the speaker under attack is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/free-speech-has-a-very-small-constituency-on-the-modern-campus/)

[John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/)

> [Daniil is a player who will not give you many chances to attack. If I have enough power and choose the right moment, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/daniil-is-a-player-who-will-not-give-you-many-chances-to-attack-if-i/)

[Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/)

> [Distributed ledgers are inherently harder to attack because instead of a single database, there are multiple shared copies of the same database, so a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walport/distributed-ledgers-are-inherently-harder-to-attack-because-instead/)

[Mark Walport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walport/)

> [Attack life. It's going to kill you anyways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/attack-life-it-s-going-to-kill-you-anyways/)

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

> [For those of us in the political business, generally, it's been pretty much an unwritten but understood rule that family and children are out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/for-those-of-us-in-the-political-business-generally-it-s-been-pretty/)

[Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/)

Browse all 1,074 Attack quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Keller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-pushed-back-my-left-is-wavering/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attack"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-pushed-back-my-left-is-wavering/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/697/james-keller-18902_attack_my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-push_1179303.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall…” — James Keller",
                "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": "James Keller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My center is giving way, my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-pushed-back-my-left-is-wavering/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-pushed-back-my-left-is-wavering/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
