“Constraint theory defines for you what outcomes are possible and what outcomes are impossible. It also eliminates wishful thinking.” ThinkingImpossibleTheoryOutcomesConstraintsWishful Thinking Author:George Friedman
“One of the great weaknesses of journalists is they interview people and they think that's important. They think that they are going to show them their true hand. But more to the point, they're trapped.” PeopleThinkingImportantShowsHandsWeaknessJournalistInterviewsTrapped Author:George Friedman
“Success looks like you sitting here pretty confident that an armed brigade isn't going to come pouring in here and blow your head off. Which I don't think is your major concern. Therefore, the United States' foreign policy is successful.” ThinkingLooksStatesUnitedUnited StatesSuccessfulPolicyLike YouMajorsSittingConcernBlowForeign PolicyPouring Author:George Friedman
“Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid are not concepts used in forecasting. When people say they're really stupid or they're crazy, that's laziness. That means I don't want to think through their position or about what they're really going to do.” PeopleThinkingWayWantMeanUsedAsksEnemyCrazyStupidPositionTheoryConceptsOne WayLazinessConstraintsDeclaringReally StupidForecasting Author:George Friedman
“I think the personal and psychological aspects of war remain the same. War is about killing and dying. A man or woman stands at the post and there is a very real possibility of dying in the next five minutes. Whether he dies or not depends partly on him and partly on luck, and yet he must continue to function.” ThinkingMenWarRealDiesNextFiveMinutesDyingPossibilityDependsAspectFunctionLuckKillingPsychologicalPostsFive Minutes Author:George Friedman
“Every theory I've seen that contains an explanation of war fails. I think they fail for the same reason that explanations of sex fail. War derives from things so deep and so complex, I'm thoroughly baffled by it at the end of the day.” ThinkingWarEndsReasonSexFailingTheoryComplexesExplanationThe End Of The DayBaffled Author:George Friedman
“The poets think about war more than the social scientists.” ThinkingWarSocialPoetScientist Author:George Friedman
“I think there are worse things than war. For example, injustice.” ThinkingWarExampleInjustice Author:George Friedman
