Clausewitz Quote by Scott J Roberts
““Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain.” Carl von Clausewitz””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: On War, 1832
Intelligence in war is often conflicting, unreliable, and uncertain, making decision‑making challenging.
In simple terms: War intelligence is contradictory and uncertain.
Key Takeaway
Plan for ambiguity and verify sources.
Themes
military
intelligence
uncertainty
strategy
decision‑making
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
strategic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- battlefield planning
- policy formulation
- risk management
- crisis response
Key Concepts
Fog of war
information reliability
cognitive bias
risk assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you mitigate intelligence uncertainty?
- What safeguards improve decision quality?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on intelligence can lead to strategic errors.
![“If we consider the actual basis of this information [i.e., intelligence], how unreliable and transient it is, we soon realize that war is a flimsy structure that can easily collapse and bury us in its ruins. ... Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are…” quote by Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c6/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_bases_if-we-consider-the-actual-basis-of-this_1315760.jpg)
