--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first time you blow someone away is…" description: "\"The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some *******s in the world that just need to be shot. There ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-mattis-9515_blow_the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is_62716.png" --- # The first time you blow someone away is not an… ![“The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some *******s in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-mattis-9515_blow_the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is_62716.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-mattis-9515_blow_the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is_62716.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-mattis-9515_blow_the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is_62716.png) > “The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some \*\*\*\*\*\*\*s in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.” [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A decisive action that overwhelms others marks a pivotal moment; some threats must be eliminated, and personal discipline determines whether one becomes the aggressor or the target. **In simple terms:** Decisive action defines role. Key Takeaway Discipline shapes hunter vs victim. Themes Power dynamics Moral responsibility Strategic decision‑making Self‑identity Conflict resolution Mood Determined Serious Focused Type Motivational Strategic Philosophical When to use this quote - Military operations - Law enforcement interventions - Competitive business moves - Personal confrontations - Crisis management Key Concepts Agency Ethics Leadership Risk assessment Practical Applications - Leadership training - Strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What determines the line between hunter and victim? - How does discipline influence moral choices? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Hunters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunters/) [Mad dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-dogs/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/there-are-hunters-and-there-are-victims-by-your-discipline-you-will/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [There are hunters, and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience, and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mattis/there-are-hunters-and-there-are-victims-by-your-discipline-cunning/) [Jim Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mattis/) > [The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is-not-an-insignificant-event-2/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-cannot-allow-any-of-your-people-to-avoid-the-brutal-facts-if-they/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-are-part-of-the-world-s-most-feared-and-trusted-force-engage-your/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I want to top expectations. I want to blow you away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-want-to-top-expectations-i-want-to-blow-you-away/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Sometimes you have to bend with the wind instead of facing it , otherwise it maybe blow you away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/sometimes-you-have-to-bend-with-the-wind-instead-of-facing-it/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [The wind might blow away the petals of a flower but never let it blow away yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akila-sultana/the-wind-might-blow-away-the-petals-of-a-flower-but-never-let-it-blow/) [Akila Sultana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akila-sultana/) > [I saw you walking with your other man today. 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Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [Rain slips through your fingers as easily as words blow away in the wind, and yet it has the power to destroy your whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maitland/rain-slips-through-your-fingers-as-easily-as-words-blow-away-in-the/) [Karen Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maitland/) ## More by James Mattis > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [An untrained or uneducated Marine ... deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment ... than the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/an-untrained-or-uneducated-marine-deployed-to-the-combat-zone-is-a/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [With respect to the outlines of what's in the Army Field Manual, there's no doubt in my mind about the limitations it places not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/with-respect-to-the-outlines-of-what-s-in-the-army-field-manual-there/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We can kill lots of people. We do kill lots of people. We can destroy virtually anything we choose to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-can-kill-lots-of-people-we-do-kill-lots-of-people-we-can-destroy/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I just hope we can find our way back to engaging with one another, arguing strongly with one another, and then going down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-just-hope-we-can-find-our-way-back-to-engaging-with-one-another/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-ve-backed-off-in-good-faith-to-try-and-give-you-a-chance-to/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You've been told that you're broken. That you're damaged goods ... there is also Post-Traumatic Growth. 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You've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-can-overcome-wrong-technology-your-people-have-the-initiative/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-go-into-afghanistan-you-got-guys-who-slap-women-around-for-five-2/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We have the most skillful, firecest, and certainly the most ethical ground forces in the world... I'm not saying we have to commit right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-have-the-most-skillful-firecest-and-certainly-the-most-ethical/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I don't see lethality as the problem. I mean, the lethality of US forces is quite remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-don-t-see-lethality-as-the-problem-i-mean-the-lethality-of-us/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The United States has been essentially engaged in an ongoing war that most people date from 2001. 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A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/not-i-not-i-but-the-wind-that-blows-through-me-a-fine-wind-is-blowing/) [D. H. 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