--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Find the enemy and shoot him down…" description: "\"Find the enemy and shoot him down. Anything else is nonsense.\" — Manfred von Richthofen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/manfred-von-richthofen-21270_enemy_find-the-enemy-and-shoot-him-down-anythi_2064657.jpg" --- # Find the enemy and shoot him down. Anything else is… ![“Find the enemy and shoot him down. Anything else is nonsense.” quote by Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/manfred-von-richthofen-21270_enemy_find-the-enemy-and-shoot-him-down-anythi_2064657.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/manfred-von-richthofen-21270_enemy_find-the-enemy-and-shoot-him-down-anythi_2064657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d57/manfred-von-richthofen-21270_enemy_find-the-enemy-and-shoot-him-down-anythi_2064657.jpg) > “Find the enemy and shoot him down. Anything else is nonsense.” [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The directive to locate and eliminate the enemy is presented as the sole purpose, emphasizing a singular, aggressive focus. **In simple terms:** Only the enemy matters; everything else is irrelevant. Key Takeaway Prioritize clear, decisive action in conflict. Themes war strategy focus Mood critical strategic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - combat - competitive sports - business rivalry Key Concepts enemy identification targeted aggression military doctrine Questions to Reflect On - When is a singular focus detrimental? - How balance aggression with diplomacy? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on aggression can neglect broader strategy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-shoot-3088127/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot/) [Shoot Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot-nonsense-3956841/) ## Related quotes > [Infantry must move forward to close with the enemy. It must shoot in order to move… To halt under fire is folly. To halt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/infantry-must-move-forward-to-close-with-the-enemy-it-must-shoot-in/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [“Go home now,” says I. “Keep away from the saloons. Save your money. You are going to need it.” “What are we going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/go-home-now-says-i-keep-away-from-the-saloons-save-your-money-you-are/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [As one Israeli said, "It's a big mistake for Israel to say it 'won' the war, when there was no war. There were no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/as-one-israeli-said-it-s-a-big-mistake-for-israel-to-say-it-won-the/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [Air power and military are meant to fight the enemy and not your own citizens... How do you differentiate a Maoist?... It will create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-chandra-deo/air-power-and-military-are-meant-to-fight-the-enemy-and-not-your-own/) [Kishore Chandra Deo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-chandra-deo/) > [Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy... use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/bring-war-material-with-you-from-home-but-forage-on-the-enemy-use-the/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The problem is that Iran has been identified as a dangerous enemy, and the longer the media forwards that proposition - and the media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hooman-majd/the-problem-is-that-iran-has-been-identified-as-a-dangerous-enemy-and/) [Hooman Majd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hooman-majd/) > [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [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/) > [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/) > [When the enemy is driven back, we have failed, and when he is cut off, encircled and dispersed, we have succeeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-suvorov/when-the-enemy-is-driven-back-we-have-failed-and-when-he-is-cut-off/) [Alexander Suvorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-suvorov/) > [The purpose of the military is to close with and destroy the enemy on behalf of our national security priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/the-purpose-of-the-military-is-to-close-with-and-destroy-the-enemy-on/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [“All right. And if any of you get hurt I'm going to be really mad. I sleep with a Glock next to my bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-dane/all-right-and-if-any-of-you-get-hurt-i-m-going-to-be-really-mad-i/) [Lauren Dane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-dane/) ## More by Manfred von Richthofen > [As a little boy of eleven I entered the Cadet Corps. I was not particularly eager to become a Cadet, but my father wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/as-a-little-boy-of-eleven-i-entered-the-cadet-corps-i-was-not/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [What's the hurry? Are you afraid I won't come back?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/what-s-the-hurry-are-you-afraid-i-won-t-come-back/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [English had hit upon a splendid joke. The intended to catch me or to bring me down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/english-had-hit-upon-a-splendid-joke-the-intended-to-catch-me-or-to/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [Of course no one thought of anything except of attacking the enemy. It lies in the instinct of every German to rush at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/of-course-no-one-thought-of-anything-except-of-attacking-the-enemy-it/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [We convinced him quickly that the possibility of war was absolutely nil and continued our festivity. On the next day we were ordered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/we-convinced-him-quickly-that-the-possibility-of-war-was-absolutely/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [Of course, with the increasing number of aeroplanes one gains increased opportunities for shooting down one's enemies, but at the same time, the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/of-course-with-the-increasing-number-of-aeroplanes-one-gains/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [One can become enthusiastic over anything. For a time I was delighted with bomb throwing. It gave me a tremendous pleasure to bomb those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/one-can-become-enthusiastic-over-anything-for-a-time-i-was-delighted/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [I have had an experience which might perhaps be described as being shot down. At the same time, I call shot down only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/i-have-had-an-experience-which-might-perhaps-be-described-as-being/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [I started shooting when I was much too far away. That was merely a trick of mine. I did not mean so much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/i-started-shooting-when-i-was-much-too-far-away-that-was-merely-a/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [Now I am within thirty yards of him. He must fall. The gun pours out its stream of lead. Then it jams. Then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/now-i-am-within-thirty-yards-of-him-he-must-fall-the-gun-pours-out/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [It is a pity that my collection of trophies contains not a single Russian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/it-is-a-pity-that-my-collection-of-trophies-contains-not-a-single/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [Everything depends on whether we have for opponents those French tricksters or those daring rascals, the English. I prefer the English. Frequently their daring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/everything-depends-on-whether-we-have-for-opponents-those-french/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [I honored the fallen enemy by placing a stone on his beautiful grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/i-honored-the-fallen-enemy-by-placing-a-stone-on-his-beautiful-grave/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [There were sometimes from forty to sixty English machines, but unfortunately the Germans were often in the minority. With them quality was more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/there-were-sometimes-from-forty-to-sixty-english-machines-but/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [All the papers contained nothing but fantastic stories about the war. However, for several months we had been accustomed to war talk. We had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/all-the-papers-contained-nothing-but-fantastic-stories-about-the-war/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) [Explore all 29 Manfred von Richthofen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) [A.K. Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-hasan/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) [Browse all 7,981 Enemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Find the enemy and shoot him down. 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