--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you wish to slay a dragon you must…" description: "\"“If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first.”\" — Stephan Attia" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg" --- # If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first. ![“If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first.” quote by Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg) > ““If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first.”” [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To defeat a powerful foe, first win its trust or affection. **In simple terms:** Charm a dragon before slaying it. Key Takeaway Use empathy before confrontation. Themes strategy empathy power Mood strategic inspirational Type mythic practical When to use this quote - leadership - negotiation - personal challenges Key Concepts mythology psychology conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - When is charm insufficient? - How do you balance trust and caution? A Different Perspective May be unrealistic in dangerous situations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Charm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charm/) [Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon/) [Slay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slay/) ## Related quotes > [“It is no easy thing to slay a dragon, but it can be done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/it-is-no-easy-thing-to-slay-a-dragon-but-it-can-be-done/) [George R.R. 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That's what takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/anyone-can-slay-a-dragon-he-told-me-but-try-waking-up-every-morning/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [“You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risks. Slay the dragon—though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-just-hope-for-happy-endings-you-have-to-believe-in-them-2/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Take it from a guy: If you're in love with somebody, you will swim the stream, you will climb the mountain, you will slay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/take-it-from-a-guy-if-you-re-in-love-with-somebody-you-will-swim-the/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [“Anyone can slay a dragon ...but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/anyone-can-slay-a-dragon-but-try-waking-up-every-morning-and-loving/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) ## More by Stephan Attia > [“Better poetry than riches, Better poverty than fortunes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/better-poetry-than-riches-better-poverty-than-fortunes/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“For those who sense and comprehend, They know that heaven is at hand; The river blue which stream and stream, It has the pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/for-those-who-sense-and-comprehend-they-know-that-heaven-is-at-hand/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“The source of beauty in a man, It is humbleness and grace; Equality is the pearl of a king, Justice his scepter; Salvation is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/the-source-of-beauty-in-a-man-it-is-humbleness-and-grace-equality-is/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“Anarchy is merely the illusion of liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/anarchy-is-merely-the-illusion-of-liberty/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“And in the vine of the divine, There is a fine line; Between tragedy and comedy, That a man cannot define.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/and-in-the-vine-of-the-divine-there-is-a-fine-line-between-tragedy/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“When people are to busy to survive they forget to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/when-people-are-to-busy-to-survive-they-forget-to-live/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“Oh but you wouldn’t believe, This book is the fruit of knowledge from Eden; It was written once by Adam and Eve, After it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/oh-but-you-wouldn-t-believe-this-book-is-the-fruit-of-knowledge-from/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“The comedy of the wicked, Is the tragedy of the saint; But the saint’s comedy, Is the wicked’s remedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/the-comedy-of-the-wicked-is-the-tragedy-of-the-saint-but-the-saint-s/) [Stephan Attia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/) > [“The Jungle Law is a law without exceptions. 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The dreary, never-changing tale Of mortal maladies is worn and stale. You cannot charm, or interest, or please By harping in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/talk-health-the-dreary-never-changing-tale-of-mortal-maladies-is-worn/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [I'm an old school guy and love the guys in the monster suits and JAWS; even though everyone makes fun of the shark I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-fessenden/i-m-an-old-school-guy-and-love-the-guys-in-the-monster-suits-and-jaws/) [Larry Fessenden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-fessenden/) > [Every woman has the instinct, the propensity to profit from her charms, and there's a lot to be said for giving oneself without love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/every-woman-has-the-instinct-the-propensity-to-profit-from-her-charms/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [I don't know that I'm a free spirit or anything like that. I just have my own way of doing things. That's the charm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-schultz/i-don-t-know-that-i-m-a-free-spirit-or-anything-like-that-i-just-have/) [Dave Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-schultz/) > [In each studio there is a human being dressed in the full regalia of his myth fearing to expore a vulnerable opening, spreading not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/in-each-studio-there-is-a-human-being-dressed-in-the-full-regalia-of/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“It's a part of life. You never know what you are going to get; you just have to be strong enough to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/it-s-a-part-of-life-you-never-know-what-you-are-going-to-get-you-just/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) > [Even after marrying Mallika, I feel that I am her boyfriend. In fact, I believe this feeling enhances the charm and fun of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayed-khan/even-after-marrying-mallika-i-feel-that-i-am-her-boyfriend-in-fact-i/) [Zayed Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayed-khan/) > [Criticism even should not be without its charms. When quite devoid of all amenities, it is no longer literary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/criticism-even-should-not-be-without-its-charms-when-quite-devoid-of/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [“Never trust charm, it's the most powerful weapon in the devil's armory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-gilbert/never-trust-charm-it-s-the-most-powerful-weapon-in-the-devil-s-armory/) Anthony Gilbert > [Paul Taylor's 'Offenbach Overtures' has lots of zip and charm, and its pair of dueling soldiers in red, who end up starry-eyed about each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/paul-taylor-s-offenbach-overtures-has-lots-of-zip-and-charm-and-its/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [Time's stern tide, with cold Oblivion's wave, Shall soon dissolve each fair, each fading charm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-seward/time-s-stern-tide-with-cold-oblivion-s-wave-shall-soon-dissolve-each/) [Anna Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-seward/) > [Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/washington-is-a-city-of-southern-efficiency-and-northern-charm/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) [Browse all 1,415 Charm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charm/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephan Attia" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-charm-it-first/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Charm" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-charm-it-first/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephan-attia-17795_charm_if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-ch_2787534.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you wish to slay a dragon you must charm it first.” — Stephan Attia", "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": "Stephan Attia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-attia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you wish to slay a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-charm-it-first/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-attia/if-you-wish-to-slay-a-dragon-you-must-charm-it-first/#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 } } ] } ```