--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the first rule of the last…" description: "\"“This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One”\" — Rick Yancey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg" --- # This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One ![“This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One” quote by Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg) > ““This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One”” [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The rule warns that in the final conflict, trust cannot be given to anyone, emphasizing extreme suspicion. **In simple terms:** Trust no one in the ultimate war. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant and verify all information. Themes war trust survival paranoia Mood tense cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - battlefield - espionage - post‑apocalyptic settings Key Concepts strategic distrust security Questions to Reflect On - Who can you safely rely on? - What are the costs of perpetual suspicion? A Different Perspective Blind trust can be a liability, but total distrust can isolate allies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust no one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-no-one/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Rule 1, on page I of the book of war, is: "Do not march on Moscow". Various people have tried it, Napoleon and Hitler,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/rule-1-on-page-i-of-the-book-of-war-is-do-not-march-on-moscow-various/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [In alove war,trust is called power,feelings are called courage,hope is known as aweapon,belief is suprise while caring is strategy and dreams are plans this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ganda-wickliffe/in-alove-war-trust-is-called-power-feelings-are-called-courage-hope/) [Ganda Wickliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ganda-wickliffe/) > [“This was one of the casualties of war, that trust itself seemed to die a thousand deaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/this-was-one-of-the-casualties-of-war-that-trust-itself-seemed-to-die/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [Success in war depends upon the golden rule of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/success-in-war-depends-upon-the-golden-rule-of-war/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [“My first rule of war, Cat-never give the enemy his wish”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-first-rule-of-war-cat-never-give-the-enemy-his-wish/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-ten-times-the-enemy-s-strength-surround-them-2/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-ten-times-the-enemy-s-strength-surround-them/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In tactics, action is the governing rule of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-foch/in-tactics-action-is-the-governing-rule-of-war/) [Ferdinand Foch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-foch/) > [If someone hurt you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them for they have helped you learn about TRUST and the importance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxfabmohi/if-someone-hurt-you-betrays-you-or-breaks-your-heart-forgive-them-for/) [Maxfabmohi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxfabmohi/) > [In the bush, trust no one you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/in-the-bush-trust-no-one-you-don-t-know/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [NEVER EVER..trust the one who says trust me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/never-ever-trust-the-one-who-says-trust-me/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/you-believe-lies-so-you-eventually-learn-to-trust-no-one-but-yourself/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [Learning to trust is hard for many people, especially those who have been through bad break ups and who have experienced heartache from situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-to-trust-is-hard-for-many-people-especially-those-who-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [ \[Could you show us how Lana Del Rey dances in a club?\] That would be illegal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/could-you-show-us-how-lana-del-rey-dances-in-a-club-that-would-be/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) ## More by Rick Yancey > [“Don't you get it yet? The minute we decide that one person doesn't matter anymore, they've won."..."Beneath a sky crowded with a billion stars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/don-t-you-get-it-yet-the-minute-we-decide-that-one-person-doesn-t/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [The way we learn to write is the way we learn to talk: We listen to others and start mimicking speech, and that's how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/the-way-we-learn-to-write-is-the-way-we-learn-to-talk-we-listen-to/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I have a very low tolerance for boredom and often think I would have missed out on books entirely if Id grown up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-have-a-very-low-tolerance-for-boredom-and-often-think-i-would-have/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [There are things that are too terrible to remember, and there are things that are almost too wonderful to recall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/there-are-things-that-are-too-terrible-to-remember-and-there-are/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I've loved sci-fi and speculative fiction since I was a kid. It was inevitable I'd try my hand at it at some point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-ve-loved-sci-fi-and-speculative-fiction-since-i-was-a-kid-it-was/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“I can’t leave him. I made a promise.” I start to explain it, but I don’t even know how to begin. How do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-can-t-leave-him-i-made-a-promise-i-start-to-explain-it-but-i-don-t/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“That's my big problem. That's it! Before the Arrival,guys like Evan Walker never looked twice at me, much less shot wild game for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/that-s-my-big-problem-that-s-it-before-the-arrival-guys-like-evan/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I'm one, too," he said. "What?" He spit a wad of blood and mucus into the dirt. "A virgin." What a shock. 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Said his prayer with him. “‘Now I lay me down to sleep…’” To me, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-brought-sammy-inside-and-put-him-to-bed-said-his-prayer-with-him/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [A moment comes in war when the last line must be crossed. The line that separates what you hold dear from what total war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/a-moment-comes-in-war-when-the-last-line-must-be-crossed-the-line/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) [Explore all 342 Rick Yancey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) ## More Rule quotes > [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/) > [“Coincidence is the exception, not the rule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/coincidence-is-the-exception-not-the-rule/) [Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/) > [Ja Rule is not Tupac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/ja-rule-is-not-tupac/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [“Every game has rules. Life’s a game that has its respective rules; obey the rules, win the game!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/every-game-has-rules-life-s-a-game-that-has-its-respective-rules-obey/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Rule 1: The customer is always right. Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, re-read Rule 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stew-leonard/rule-1-the-customer-is-always-right-rule-2-if-the-customer-is-ever/) Stew Leonard > [Rule 1: You can't keep messing up someone else's feelings just because you are unsure of your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cori-morton/rule-1-you-can-t-keep-messing-up-someone-else-s-feelings-just-because/) [Cori Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cori-morton/) > [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/) [Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/) > [The rules and principles of case law have never been treated as final truths but as working hypotheses, continually retested in those great laboratories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-rules-and-principles-of-case-law-have-never-been-treated-as-final/) [Benjamin N. 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If someone were addressing your point, what tone, what overall approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-most-important-guideline-when-it-comes-to-argument-is-the-golden/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [To rule yourself is the ultimate power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/to-rule-yourself-is-the-ultimate-power/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“one must first know the rules to break them,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-agus/one-must-first-know-the-rules-to-break-them/) [David B. Agus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-agus/) Browse all 1,551 Rule quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Yancey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-trust-no-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Rule" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-trust-no-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/rick-yancey-831_trust_this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-t_1183473.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is the first rule of the last war:Trust No One” — Rick Yancey", "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": "Rick Yancey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This is the first rule of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-trust-no-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/this-is-the-first-rule-of-the-last-war-trust-no-one/#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 } } ] } ```