--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've been in a period of relative…" description: "\"We've been in a period of relative stability and cooperation since the end of the Cold War among the world's major powers, but that may not always exis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/john-burroughs-1157_cold_we-ve-been-in-a-period-of-relative-stabi_2630843.png" --- # We've been in a period of relative stability and… ![“We've been in a period of relative stability and cooperation since the end of the Cold War among the world's major powers, but that may not always exist. And certainly one could even predict that there will be periods of hostility or tension ahead.” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/john-burroughs-1157_cold_we-ve-been-in-a-period-of-relative-stabi_2630843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/john-burroughs-1157_cold_we-ve-been-in-a-period-of-relative-stabi_2630843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/john-burroughs-1157_cold_we-ve-been-in-a-period-of-relative-stabi_2630843.png) > “We've been in a period of relative stability and cooperation since the end of the Cold War among the world's major powers, but that may not always exist. And certainly one could even predict that there will be periods of hostility or tension ahead.” [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that post‑Cold War stability is fragile and warns of possible future tensions among major powers. **In simple terms:** Peace is temporary; conflict may return. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant and promote lasting diplomatic cooperation. Themes geopolitics stability future conflict power dynamics Mood cautious thoughtful analytical Type political strategic When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic discussion - public debate - media commentary Key Concepts realism uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - What actions can sustain peace? - How can nations prepare for potential tensions? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook emerging threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Hostility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility/) [Hostility Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility-tension-2188402/) [Major Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/major-powers-466632/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Relative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relative/) [Stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability/) [Stability Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability-cooperation-2188401/) [Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension/) [Tension Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension-ahead-2188400/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The thing that I focus on because I don't think it gets enough attention is that among the world's major powers, there is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/the-thing-that-i-focus-on-because-i-don-t-think-it-gets-enough/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [ It \[a new world order\] needs only that the governments of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, and Russia should get together in order… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/it-a-new-world-order-needs-only-that-the-governments-of-britain-the/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [Because there is no world government to protect states from one another, major powers are acutely sensitive to threats - especially near their borders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/because-there-is-no-world-government-to-protect-states-from-one/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [I believe it is still true that conflicts among major powers usually stem from geopolitical rivalries but rarely from economic competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/i-believe-it-is-still-true-that-conflicts-among-major-powers-usually/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Indeed, China may never acquire the geo-political influence and reach that Great Britain enjoyed in the 19th century and the United States of America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjaya-baru/indeed-china-may-never-acquire-the-geo-political-influence-and-reach/) [Sanjaya Baru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjaya-baru/) > [“In fact, as of May 15, 1984, the major powers of the world had remained at peace with one another for the longest stretch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-as-of-may-15-1984-the-major-powers-of-the-world-had-remained/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Rogue states never turn out to be quite the pariahs they are deemed. They are only able to cause, or at least threaten to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/rogue-states-never-turn-out-to-be-quite-the-pariahs-they-are-deemed/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [World's major powers, including China and Russia, don't want to 'finance' American military adventures anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-keiser/world-s-major-powers-including-china-and-russia-don-t-want-to-finance/) [Max Keiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-keiser/) > [Now we have a whole series of problems - energy, environment, proliferation - which go beyond the nation. And we also know that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/now-we-have-a-whole-series-of-problems-energy-environment/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [It was an axiom of "containment" that no part of the known world could be considered neutral. "Neutralism" was among the Cold Warriors' gravest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-was-an-axiom-of-containment-that-no-part-of-the-known-world-could/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Nuclear weapons\] now I think I mentioned around 27,000 and during the Cold War the total global arsenal was on the order of 70,000. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/nuclear-weapons-now-i-think-i-mentioned-around-27-000-and-during-the/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Bisexuals need to recognize that their being closeted is a huge contributing factor to the hostility they face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/bisexuals-need-to-recognize-that-their-being-closeted-is-a-huge/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [It is easy to speak words of love, or to meditate lovingly upon those people with whom you are in harmony. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ponder/it-is-easy-to-speak-words-of-love-or-to-meditate-lovingly-upon-those/) [Catherine Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ponder/) > [Indifference is harder to fight than hostility, and there is nothing that kills an agitation like having everybody admit that it is fundamentally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/indifference-is-harder-to-fight-than-hostility-and-there-is-nothing/) [Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) ## More by John Burroughs > [As life nears its end with me, I find myself meditating more and more upon the mystery of its nature and origin, yet without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/as-life-nears-its-end-with-me-i-find-myself-meditating-more-and-more/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/certainly-in-the-united-states-you-have-a-constituency-in-the-form-of/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [When Darwin published his conclusion that man was descended from an apelike ancestor who was again descended from a still lower type, most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/when-darwin-published-his-conclusion-that-man-was-descended-from-an/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Science sees the process of evolution from the outside, as one might a train of cars going by, and resolves it into the physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/science-sees-the-process-of-evolution-from-the-outside-as-one-might-a/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/maybe-that-will-happen-with-other-countries-as-well-and-so-that-s-why/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [One can only learn his powers of action by action, and his powers of thought by thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-can-only-learn-his-powers-of-action-by-action-and-his-powers-of/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [I was born with a chronic anxiety about the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-was-born-with-a-chronic-anxiety-about-the-weather/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [When the woodpecker is searching for food, or laying siege to some hidden grub, the sound of his hammer is dead or muffled and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/when-the-woodpecker-is-searching-for-food-or-laying-siege-to-some/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [In what bold relief stand out the lives of all walkers of the snow! The snow is a great tell-tale, and blabs as effectually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/in-what-bold-relief-stand-out-the-lives-of-all-walkers-of-the-snow/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [In October, a maple tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days, its presence helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/in-october-a-maple-tree-before-your-window-lights-up-your-room-like-a/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [One can return to their place of birth, but one cannot go back to your youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-can-return-to-their-place-of-birth-but-one-cannot-go-back-to-your/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [I still find each day too short..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-still-find-each-day-too-short/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [What a severe yet master artist old Winter is... No longer the canvas and the pigments, but the marble and the chisel...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/what-a-severe-yet-master-artist-old-winter-is-no-longer-the-canvas/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Following World War II, the U.S. was the architect of the UN system, and the world financial system, and the Human Rights Declaration, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/following-world-war-ii-the-u-s-was-the-architect-of-the-un-system-and/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“Go to the sea or climb the mountain, and with the ruggedest and the savagest you will find likewise the fairest and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/go-to-the-sea-or-climb-the-mountain-and-with-the-ruggedest-and-the/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) [Explore all 281 John Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) ## More Cold quotes > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Of course Messi could handle a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [You start playing when it's cold and you want to be playing when it's cold again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimy-williams/you-start-playing-when-it-s-cold-and-you-want-to-be-playing-when-it-s/) [Jimy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimy-williams/) > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-have-touched-it-like-a-child-but-knew-my-finger-could-but/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/when-i-first-started-all-the-reviews-of-cold-chisel-would-say-this/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [One of the problems trying to play an instrument outside in the cold is your fingers give up on you and you can't wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/one-of-the-problems-trying-to-play-an-instrument-outside-in-the-cold/) [Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/) > [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/) [Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/) > [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) [Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We've been in a period of relative stability and cooperation since the end of the Cold War among the world's major powers, but that may not always exist. 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