--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is often wiser not to fight at all…" description: "\"“It is often wiser not to fight at all than attack before victory is sure’,”\" — Trudi Canavan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/trudi-canavan-13211_enemy_it-is-often-wiser-not-to-fight-at-all-th_2736577.png" --- # It is often wiser not to fight at all than attack before… ![“It is often wiser not to fight at all than attack before victory is sure’,” quote by Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/trudi-canavan-13211_enemy_it-is-often-wiser-not-to-fight-at-all-th_2736577.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/trudi-canavan-13211_enemy_it-is-often-wiser-not-to-fight-at-all-th_2736577.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/trudi-canavan-13211_enemy_it-is-often-wiser-not-to-fight-at-all-th_2736577.png) > ““It is often wiser not to fight at all than attack before victory is sure’,”” [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Canavan advises that attacking before certainty of victory is unwise; patience may be better. **In simple terms:** Don’t fight unless you’re sure you’ll win. Key Takeaway Wait for certainty before engaging. Themes strategy patience warfare decision making Mood cautious strategic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business negotiations - sports competition - personal conflicts Key Concepts risk assessment military tactics Questions to Reflect On - When is it worth taking a calculated risk? - How do you gauge certainty? A Different Perspective Overcaution can lead to missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attack Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-victory-2996087/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Fight Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight-attack-2996089/) [Victory Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory-sure-2996088/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser/) [Wiser Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser-fight-2996086/) ## Related quotes > [Macho means you are in the ring to fight, to attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cesar-chavez-sr/macho-means-you-are-in-the-ring-to-fight-to-attack/) [Julio Cesar Chavez Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cesar-chavez-sr/) > [Without a plan, there's no attack. 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Those who are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/cognitive-and-character-skills-work-together-as-dynamic-complements/) [James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/) > [“you are wiser than you were yesterday,,and there is always a lot more to learn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augelicht/you-are-wiser-than-you-were-yesterday-and-there-is-always-a-lot-more/) [augelicht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augelicht/) > [It is a very high mind to which gratitude is not a painful sensation. If you wish to please, you will find it wiser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/it-is-a-very-high-mind-to-which-gratitude-is-not-a-painful-sensation/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fool-without-fear-is-sometimes-wiser-than-an-angel-with-fear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a little older and understand the nature of the business - the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-moss/i-am-a-little-older-and-understand-the-nature-of-the-business-the/) [Randy Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-moss/) > [Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-borne/getting-rid-of-a-delusion-makes-us-wiser-than-getting-hold-of-a-truth/) [Ludwig Borne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-borne/) > [“Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/some-people-they-grow-wiser-as-they-grow-older-unfortunately-most/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) ## More by Trudi Canavan > [I have always been fascinated by the supernatural elements in stories, whether fairy tales, myths, film or literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-have-always-been-fascinated-by-the-supernatural-elements-in-stories/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [I still recommend reading travel guides as an insight to a traveller's perspective on fantasy worlds. Nearly all characters end up travelling at some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-still-recommend-reading-travel-guides-as-an-insight-to-a-traveller/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Your supposed to drink wine, my friend, not breathe it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/your-supposed-to-drink-wine-my-friend-not-breathe-it/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [There's always a bit of truth in each rumour, the trouble is finding out which bit. - Tayend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/there-s-always-a-bit-of-truth-in-each-rumour-the-trouble-is-finding/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Achati chuckled. "You may be surprised. Some might come in the hopes of being snatched away to a secret place ruled by exotic women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/achati-chuckled-you-may-be-surprised-some-might-come-in-the-hopes-of/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Though I can’t help feeling a sudden death cheats you of something. Death is an experience of life. You only get one death. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/though-i-can-t-help-feeling-a-sudden-death-cheats-you-of-something/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Mortals did not need gods to order them to kill eachother. They were quite capable of finding reasons to do so themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/mortals-did-not-need-gods-to-order-them-to-kill-eachother-they-were/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Ranel had said that the murderer wore a ring with a red gemstone. Looking at Akkarin's hands, she was almost disappointed to see they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/ranel-had-said-that-the-murderer-wore-a-ring-with-a-red-gemstone/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Cery: So, Hem, tell me why I shouldn't see how many holes I need to make before you start leaking money?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/cery-so-hem-tell-me-why-i-shouldn-t-see-how-many-holes-i-need-to-make/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Extending his senses, Lorkin tried again to hear his mother’s surface thoughts. What he picked up seemed too out of character, however. He must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/extending-his-senses-lorkin-tried-again-to-hear-his-mother-s-surface/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Better to know the quick pain of truth than the ongoing pain of a long-held false hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/better-to-know-the-quick-pain-of-truth-than-the-ongoing-pain-of-a/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [Akkarin: I watched the first woman I loved die. I dont think I can survive losing the second. Sonea: I love you too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/akkarin-i-watched-the-first-woman-i-loved-die-i-dont-think-i-can/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Suddenly she was all too aware how different she was. A woman among all these man. A natural from a humble background among rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/suddenly-she-was-all-too-aware-how-different-she-was-a-woman-among/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [The first rule of world-building is available physics, which basically means that if you want it to feel real, it has to follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/the-first-rule-of-world-building-is-available-physics-which-basically/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) [Explore all 42 Trudi Canavan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [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/) > [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) [A.K. Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-hasan/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“Enemies Teach. 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