--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is sound statesmanship to add two…" description: "\"It is sound statesmanship to add two battleships every time our neighbour adds one and two stories to our skyscrapers every time he piles a new one on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/mark-twain-22_add_it-is-sound-statesmanship-to-add-two-bat_1727002.jpg" --- # It is sound statesmanship to add two battleships every… ![“It is sound statesmanship to add two battleships every time our neighbour adds one and two stories to our skyscrapers every time he piles a new one on top of his to threaten our light. There is no limit to this soundness but the sky.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/mark-twain-22_add_it-is-sound-statesmanship-to-add-two-bat_1727002.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/mark-twain-22_add_it-is-sound-statesmanship-to-add-two-bat_1727002.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/mark-twain-22_add_it-is-sound-statesmanship-to-add-two-bat_1727002.jpg) > “It is sound statesmanship to add two battleships every time our neighbour adds one and two stories to our skyscrapers every time he piles a new one on top of his to threaten our light. There is no limit to this soundness but the sky.” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments and developers should match rivals’ expansions, leading to endless escalation. **In simple terms:** Arms races and building booms create perpetual competition. Key Takeaway Avoid unnecessary escalation. Themes competition military arms race urban development Mood cautious critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - defense policy - city planning - international relations Key Concepts political science economics urban planning Questions to Reflect On - How can cooperation replace competition? - What limits should be set on expansion? A Different Perspective Escalation can waste resources and increase risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Neighbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbour/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Skyscraper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skyscraper/) [Skyscrapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skyscrapers/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Statesmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesmanship/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Well, as you know, we're working through a difficult period in our financial markets right now as we work off some of the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/well-as-you-know-we-re-working-through-a-difficult-period-in-our/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Though men of delicate taste be rare, they are easily to be distinguished in society by the soundness of their understanding, and the superiority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/though-men-of-delicate-taste-be-rare-they-are-easily-to-be/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. 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