--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never met a general yet who could…" description: "\"I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow.\" — Lennart Meri" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png" --- # I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow. ![“I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow.” quote by Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png) > “I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow.” [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even high-ranking officials may lack basic practical skills; expertise is not universal. **In simple terms:** Leaders can be unskilled in everyday tasks. Key Takeaway Value practical competence alongside authority. Themes leadership humility skill gaps Mood humorous thoughtful Type satirical educational When to use this quote - government training - military education - community workshops - personal development Key Concepts practical knowledge competence authority Questions to Reflect On - What everyday skill could you improve? - How do you assess competence beyond titles? A Different Perspective Assuming expertise without verification can cause errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Cow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cow/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [General Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-milk-2870950/) [Met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/met/) [Met General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/met-general-2870951/) [Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milk/) [Milk Cow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milk-cow-306670/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [Ive never met a general yet who could milk a cow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/ive-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [“If you can't lay an egg or milk a cow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebbecca-d-myers/if-you-can-t-lay-an-egg-or-milk-a-cow/) [Rebbecca D. Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebbecca-d-myers/) > [You can only milk a cow so long, then you're left holding the pail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-aaron/you-can-only-milk-a-cow-so-long-then-you-re-left-holding-the-pail/) [Hank Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-aaron/) > [It's seldom you make a great picture. you have to milk the cow quite a lot to get plenty of milk to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/it-s-seldom-you-make-a-great-picture-you-have-to-milk-the-cow-quite-a/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [If you do not milk the cow fully, it falls sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalu-prasad-yadav/if-you-do-not-milk-the-cow-fully-it-falls-sick/) [Lalu Prasad Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalu-prasad-yadav/) > [If an actor knows how to milk a cow, I always know it will not be difficult to be in business with him,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/if-an-actor-knows-how-to-milk-a-cow-i-always-know-it-will-not-be/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Fortified plant-based milks are delicious and contain all the calcium, protein, and vitamin D of dairy products but with none of the cholesterol, lactose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/fortified-plant-based-milks-are-delicious-and-contain-all-the-calcium/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [The cow is of the bovine ilk: One end is moo, the other, milk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-cow-is-of-the-bovine-ilk-one-end-is-moo-the-other-milk/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I never drink cow's milk; I always opt for the soya alternative, and when I eat most dairy products, it tends to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-o-mara/i-never-drink-cow-s-milk-i-always-opt-for-the-soya-alternative-and/) [Kate O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-o-mara/) > [“Milk the cow, never feed her. Milk the cow, never feed her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldstein/milk-the-cow-never-feed-her-milk-the-cow-never-feed-her/) [Ken Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldstein/) > [“You can sit on a brick, and milk a cow with a blanket.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-mckay/you-can-sit-on-a-brick-and-milk-a-cow-with-a-blanket/) [Nicole McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-mckay/) > [“In many modern dairy farms a milk cow usually lives for about five years before being slaughtered. During these five years she is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/in-many-modern-dairy-farms-a-milk-cow-usually-lives-for-about-five/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Don't milk the cow too hard. She will kick you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/don-t-milk-the-cow-too-hard-she-will-kick-you/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [You can milk a cow the wrong way once and still be a farmer, but vote the wrong way on a water tower and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/you-can-milk-a-cow-the-wrong-way-once-and-still-be-a-farmer-but-vote/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## More by Lennart Meri > [Science will liberate us from the chains of big cities and lead us back to nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/science-will-liberate-us-from-the-chains-of-big-cities-and-lead-us/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [I am not always happy with the compliments Estonia has received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-am-not-always-happy-with-the-compliments-estonia-has-received/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Looking in the mirror to check if my tie is straight is a waste of my time. I only look in the mirror once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/looking-in-the-mirror-to-check-if-my-tie-is-straight-is-a-waste-of-my/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [I was too busy looking into Yeltsin's eyes to notice what was under the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-was-too-busy-looking-into-yeltsin-s-eyes-to-notice-what-was-under/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [With that radio I was always swimming with the current political streams in the West. I was never stranded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/with-that-radio-i-was-always-swimming-with-the-current-political/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [That radio was very important for me. It meant I always knew what was going on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/that-radio-was-very-important-for-me-it-meant-i-always-knew-what-was/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Our civilisation has lost this bond between times, and tends to measure time with a yardstick, bit by bit, from one point to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/our-civilisation-has-lost-this-bond-between-times-and-tends-to/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Throughout Soviet times, I understood what was really happening in the world around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/throughout-soviet-times-i-understood-what-was-really-happening-in-the/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Ive never met a general yet who could milk a cow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/ive-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [In the past, when I shot films about fishermen and hunters, I always had to admire their ability to perceive time in its entirety.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/in-the-past-when-i-shot-films-about-fishermen-and-hunters-i-always/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Traveling is the only passion that doesn't need to feel shy in front of intellect,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/traveling-is-the-only-passion-that-doesn-t-need-to-feel-shy-in-front/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [History is more interesting than politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/history-is-more-interesting-than-politics/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [If geography is prose, maps are iconography,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/if-geography-is-prose-maps-are-iconography/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [Security is like virginity: you're either a virgin or you're not. You either have security or you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/security-is-like-virginity-you-re-either-a-virgin-or-you-re-not-you/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) [Explore all 15 Lennart Meri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) ## More Could quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I don't think Joe Louis could take the punches today fighting in this era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-holmes/i-don-t-think-joe-louis-could-take-the-punches-today-fighting-in-this/) [Larry Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-holmes/) > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/if-my-wisdom-could-get-support-from-officials-i-think-society-would/) [Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/) [Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. For some reason, all the advanced courses in philosophy were offered 4:30 to 6:30, so I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/i-studied-philosophy-and-ended-on-sociology-for-some-reason-all-the/) [Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/) [Browse all 8,032 Could quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lennart Meri" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Could" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/lennart-meri-33041_could_i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-m_2724248.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never met a general yet who could milk a cow.” — Lennart Meri", "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": "Lennart Meri", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never met a general yet...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/i-ve-never-met-a-general-yet-who-could-milk-a-cow/#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 } } ] } ```