--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alliances are useful in some situations…" description: "\"“Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But”\" — Timothy Zahn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg" --- # Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they… ![“Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But” quote by Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg) > ““Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But”” [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Alliances vary in importance; some are optional, others essential for survival. **In simple terms:** Alliances can be optional or vital. Key Takeaway Assess alliance value before committing. Themes strategy politics relationships dependence risk Mood strategic cautious Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - business negotiations - political coalitions - team projects Key Concepts game theory diplomacy conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - When is an alliance merely a convenience? - What costs arise from dependence? A Different Perspective Overreliance can create vulnerability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alliances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) ## Related quotes > [“Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But they must always be approached with caution. Unity of that sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn-star-wars-thrawn/alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations-in-others-they-are-absolutely-2/) [Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Thrawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn-star-wars-thrawn/) > [Don't knock the power of a pest," Leif said. "Persistance and stubborness can be useful in many situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/don-t-knock-the-power-of-a-pest-leif-said-persistance-and-stubborness/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [Blame is especially useful in situations in which there is no apparent villain-those moments that prove, despite our advancement of learning, how susceptible we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rosenblatt/blame-is-especially-useful-in-situations-in-which-there-is-no/) [Roger Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rosenblatt/) > [There are days when you might enjoy being an editor a little less, due to one crisis or another. It is absolutely vital, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/there-are-days-when-you-might-enjoy-being-an-editor-a-little-less-due/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [The conservation of nature, the proper care for the human environment and a general concern for the long-term future of the whole of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/the-conservation-of-nature-the-proper-care-for-the-human-environment/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [I have sworn to uphold the Constitution ... and a free press is absolutely vital to the freedom of this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-pace/i-have-sworn-to-uphold-the-constitution-and-a-free-press-is/) [Peter Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-pace/) > [Connecting people to jobs and to each other is absolutely vital to a city's economy (and to the wider economy).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/connecting-people-to-jobs-and-to-each-other-is-absolutely-vital-to-a/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [Conflict is neither good nor bad. Properly managed, it is absolutely vital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-kaye/conflict-is-neither-good-nor-bad-properly-managed-it-is-absolutely/) [Kenneth Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-kaye/) > [Unpopular speech is absolutely vital to the health of our nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/unpopular-speech-is-absolutely-vital-to-the-health-of-our-nation/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Patenting and purchase of lands are absolutely vital to the health of Nevada's rural communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gibbons/patenting-and-purchase-of-lands-are-absolutely-vital-to-the-health-of/) [Jim Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gibbons/) > [It was and has been one of the major interventions in public health, and it's absolutely vital that people vaccinate their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walport/it-was-and-has-been-one-of-the-major-interventions-in-public-health/) [Mark Walport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walport/) > [It is absolutely vital to put the pain behind you and move forward with your life and love. Otherwise, you are giving away your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/it-is-absolutely-vital-to-put-the-pain-behind-you-and-move-forward/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [AN ABSOLUTELY VITAL FILM. Exacting, enraging and revelatory. A clear, temperate and devastating account of high level arrogance and incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-o-scott/an-absolutely-vital-film-exacting-enraging-and-revelatory-a-clear/) [A. O. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-o-scott/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) ## More by Timothy Zahn > [“the way an Ugnaught gets to be an old Ugnaught is by being smart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/the-way-an-ugnaught-gets-to-be-an-old-ugnaught-is-by-being-smart/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“All beings begin their lives with hope and aspirations. Among these aspirations is the desire that there will be a straight path to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/all-beings-begin-their-lives-with-hope-and-aspirations-among-these/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“The mind and body are linked together in a meshwork of oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and neuron health. Physical exercise drives that meshwork, stimulating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/the-mind-and-body-are-linked-together-in-a-meshwork-of-oxygen/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“A friend need not be kept either within sight or within reach. A friend must be allowed the freedom to find and follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/a-friend-need-not-be-kept-either-within-sight-or-within-reach-a/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“I’ve found that what most people call luck is often little more than raw talent combined with the ability to make the most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/i-ve-found-that-what-most-people-call-luck-is-often-little-more-than/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“One may learn a great deal about a people by the stories they tell of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/one-may-learn-a-great-deal-about-a-people-by-the-stories-they-tell-of/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“But ultimate safety does not exist. Those who trust in such will find that hope dashed upon the very rock behind which they seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/but-ultimate-safety-does-not-exist-those-who-trust-in-such-will-find/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“But just because he couldn’t sense it didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t there.11”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/but-just-because-he-couldn-t-sense-it-didn-t-necessarily-mean-it-wasn/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“...But we will succeed. I've seen the future, Jorj. We will succeed, because we have no other choice." -Thrawn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/but-we-will-succeed-i-ve-seen-the-future-jorj-we-will-succeed-because/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“There are things in the universe that are simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/there-are-things-in-the-universe-that-are-simply-and-purely-evil-a/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [ “\[Han\] glared into his mug. Besides, he didn't add, asking Princess Leia for repacement reward credits would mean he'd have to tell her how… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/han-glared-into-his-mug-besides-he-didn-t-add-asking-princess-leia/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“Yes, they’d lost. But it was just a battle, not the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/yes-they-d-lost-but-it-was-just-a-battle-not-the-war/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [“For if one is remembered by a friend, one is never truly gone. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/for-if-one-is-remembered-by-a-friend-one-is-never-truly-gone/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [A more accurate statement would be that I was the first person since Jedi who was permitted to stick a fork into the piecrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/a-more-accurate-statement-would-be-that-i-was-the-first-person-since/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) > [When you understand a species' art, you understand that species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/when-you-understand-a-species-art-you-understand-that-species/) [Timothy Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) [Explore all 74 Timothy Zahn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/) ## More Alliances quotes > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [The U.S. always needs an enemy. It comes and goes. Today it is Islam. According to this plan or ideology of the born-again Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-jumblatt/the-u-s-always-needs-an-enemy-it-comes-and-goes-today-it-is-islam/) [Walid Jumblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-jumblatt/) > [I would be quite happy to see the Northern Alliance steam across northern Afghanistan and take Kabul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-hoon/i-would-be-quite-happy-to-see-the-northern-alliance-steam-across/) [Geoff Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-hoon/) > [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Love and friendship, two of life's abiding rewards, are endangered species in Hollywood. People crave both, mistaking alliance for friendship, lust for love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-obst/love-and-friendship-two-of-life-s-abiding-rewards-are-endangered/) [Lynda Obst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-obst/) > [...to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/to-befoul-the-unholy-alliance-between-corrupt-business-and-corrupt/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I prayed for the first time in a very long time today. I explained to God that unless he wanted the Marxist-Islamic alliance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-behring-breivik/i-prayed-for-the-first-time-in-a-very-long-time-today-i-explained-to/) Anders Behring Breivik > [You cannot lead an alliance if you say you're going alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-cannot-lead-an-alliance-if-you-say-you-re-going-alone/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/an-alliance-is-like-a-chain-it-is-not-made-stronger-by-adding-weak/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Clearly, gay marriage is on the top of the agenda right now. It's pretty amazing, considering where stuff was at when I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/clearly-gay-marriage-is-on-the-top-of-the-agenda-right-now-it-s/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [America must always be the world's paramount military power, but we can magnify our power through alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/america-must-always-be-the-world-s-paramount-military-power-but-we/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [In 1491 the Inka ruled the greatest empire on earth. Bigger than Ming Dynasty China, bigger than Ivan the Great’s expanding Russia, bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-c-mann/in-1491-the-inka-ruled-the-greatest-empire-on-earth-bigger-than-ming/) [Charles C. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-c-mann/) > [ I told \[ David Lange\] he was crazy, because you can't have an alliance relationship if you refuse access to their ships. And the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-told-david-lange-he-was-crazy-because-you-can-t-have-an-alliance/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) [Browse all 389 Alliances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Zahn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations-in-others-they-are-absolutely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alliances" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations-in-others-they-are-absolutely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/timothy-zahn-8750_quote_alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations_1597317.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But” — Timothy Zahn", "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": "Timothy Zahn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-zahn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Alliances are useful in some situations....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations-in-others-they-are-absolutely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-zahn/alliances-are-useful-in-some-situations-in-others-they-are-absolutely/#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 } } ] } ```