“The reason that university politics is so vicious is because stakes are so small”

“We fought a military war; our opponents fought a political one. We sought physical attrition; our opponents aimed for our psychological exhaustion. In the process we lost sight of one of the cardinal maxims of guerrilla war: the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win. The North Vietnamese used their armed forces the way a bull-fighter uses his cape — to keep us lunging in areas of marginal political importance.”

“A turbulent history has taught Chinese leaders that not every problem has a solution and that too great an emphasis on total mastery over specific events could upset the harmony of the universe.”

“Blessed are the people whose leaders can look destiny in the eye without flinching but also without attempting to play God”

“Don't be too ambitious. Do the most important thing you can think of doing every year and then your career will take care of itself.”

“There can't be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full.”

“Every victory is only the price of admission to a more difficult problem”