--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail…" description: "\"Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail. They only work one time out of ten, but when it works, it can also be dangerous for the arm that is throwing ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/690/maurizio-cattelan-11080_dangerous_provocations-are-like-a-molotov-cocktail_2413367.jpg" --- # Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail. They only work… ![“Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail. They only work one time out of ten, but when it works, it can also be dangerous for the arm that is throwing it. It's the price that has to be paid.” quote by Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/690/maurizio-cattelan-11080_dangerous_provocations-are-like-a-molotov-cocktail_2413367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/690/maurizio-cattelan-11080_dangerous_provocations-are-like-a-molotov-cocktail_2413367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/690/maurizio-cattelan-11080_dangerous_provocations-are-like-a-molotov-cocktail_2413367.jpg) > “Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail. They only work one time out of ten, but when it works, it can also be dangerous for the arm that is throwing it. It's the price that has to be paid.” [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Provocative actions are risky, rarely succeeding, but when they do, they can backfire on the initiator, demanding a price. **In simple terms:** Provocations are risky and may hurt the provocateur. Key Takeaway Weigh risks before provoking. Themes risk provocation consequence ethics Mood cautious critical Type social ethical When to use this quote - political debate - artistic expression - public discourse Key Concepts social dynamics impact assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is provocation justified? - How can one mitigate backlash? A Different Perspective Success is fleeting; impact may be negative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I flailed my arm in a throwing motion before I could even walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/i-flailed-my-arm-in-a-throwing-motion-before-i-could-even-walk/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [I never resorted to the spitter until I was obliged to. I nearly ruined my arm throwing curves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-faber/i-never-resorted-to-the-spitter-until-i-was-obliged-to-i-nearly/) Red Faber > [The ocean was waiting with grand and bitter provocations, as if it invited you to think how deep it was, how much colder than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-ocean-was-waiting-with-grand-and-bitter-provocations-as-if-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“It occurred to me that among the charms of old age are the provocations our young female friends permit themselves because they think we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-occurred-to-me-that-among-the-charms-of-old-age-are-the/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I think the West needs to get away from the habit of regarding the regime's nuclear tests and ballistic launches as isolated provocations timed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reynolds-myers/i-think-the-west-needs-to-get-away-from-the-habit-of-regarding-the/) [Brian Reynolds Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reynolds-myers/) > [You know what pressure is put on Belarus, ranging from open blackmail to attempted interference in our internal affairs from the West, and from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/you-know-what-pressure-is-put-on-belarus-ranging-from-open-blackmail/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [The provocations by Russia need to be met with American strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-provocations-by-russia-need-to-be-met-with-american-strength/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Elderly gentlemen, gentle in all respects, kind to animals, beloved by children, and fond of music, are found in lonely corners of the downs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-herbert/elderly-gentlemen-gentle-in-all-respects-kind-to-animals-beloved-by/) [A. P. Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-herbert/) > [Throwing a ball is not natural, whether it's overhand or underhand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/throwing-a-ball-is-not-natural-whether-it-s-overhand-or-underhand/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. 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And a good liar!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-would-describe-myself-as-a-tallish-shy-middle-aged-man-who-equally/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [I produce so little that the works have to be editioned. Otherwise, I don't survive. Also, editioning is relevant for communication. If you make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-produce-so-little-that-the-works-have-to-be-editioned-otherwise-i/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [The best art is on the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/the-best-art-is-on-the-street/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [Damien Hirst knows how to drive super-fast cars... 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It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-m-not-saying-the-1970s-was-a-golden-age-i-don-t-believe-such-a/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [If you are searching to figure out what is true and what is not, you will have a sad life. It means you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/if-you-are-searching-to-figure-out-what-is-true-and-what-is-not-you/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [Every morning, we choose between milk or tea or coffee. Usually, I know what I like, but I don't rule out changing my idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/every-morning-we-choose-between-milk-or-tea-or-coffee-usually-i-know/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [I like to produce work for specific places, and it is difficult to do repeat shows in the same space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-like-to-produce-work-for-specific-places-and-it-is-difficult-to-do/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [Based on my experience, it's considerably difficult to force a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/based-on-my-experience-it-s-considerably-difficult-to-force-a-donkey/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) [Explore all 62 Maurizio Cattelan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Provocations are like a Molotov cocktail. They only work one time out of ten, but when it works, it can also be dangerous for the arm that is throwing it. 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