Quotes by
Donald Rumsfeld |
American politician
Rumsfeld served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under Gerald Ford, and again from January 2001 to December 2006 under George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the second-oldest person to have served as Secretary of Defense.
| 22 quotes | 1,813 visits |
Quotations
| • | Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war. 5 |
| • | Those who made the decisions with imperfect knowledge will be judged in hindsight by those with considerably more information at their disposal and time for reflection. 3 |
| • | Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first overcome. 3 |
| • | If they were easy decisions, they would have been made at a lower level. It’s always the toughest decisions that find their way to the top. 3 |
| • | It is easier to get into something than to get out of it. |
| • | The message is that there are no “knowns.” There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know. |
| • | You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time. |
| • | If we know anything, it is that weakness is provocative. |
| • | Over the years I’ve come to be wary of using the words always and never. They are two of the more dangerous words in the English language. |
| • | Nothing big —certainly nothing big in historical terms— comes easy. |
| • | Whatever your position, reach out to those who know more than you do, and have been around longer than you have. Find those people. Listen carefully. And learn. |
| • | Think ahead. Don’t let day-to-day operations drive out planning. |
| • | Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up. |
| • | Learn to say “I don't know”. If used when appropriate, it will be often. |
| • | If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't, I'll just respond, cleverly. |
| • | If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. |
| • | Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. |
| • | Never assume the other fellow will not do something you wouldn’t do. |
| • | Don’t divide the world into “them” and “us”. Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours. |
| • | If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it. |
| • | Don’t do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. |
| • | In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it. |
