# Quote of the Day



## QORvanweert (23 Aug 2010)

Why, when you take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman, and the most audacious soldier, put them at a table, what do you get? The sum of their fears. 

- Sir Winston Churchill


The above was the quote of the day when I logged in this morning. However, as interesting as it is, I don't actually understand it. What did he mean?


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## Michael OLeary (23 Aug 2010)

It means that the sailor, for example, though highly confident of his ability to fight a blue water battle, will be hesitant to enthusiastically promote any plan dependent on a land battle or air support.  Each of the others will have similar reservations regarding the other environments.  Therefore, any joint plan will be based on mitigating the cautiousness of each (i.e., their "fears") rather than capitalizing on the boldness of each in their own environment.


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## MGB (23 Aug 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> It means that the sailor, for example, though highly confident of his ability to fight a blue water battle, will be hesitant to enthusiastically promote any plan dependent on a land battle or air support.  Each of the others will have similar reservations regarding the other environments.  Therefore, any joint plan will be based on mitigating the cautiousness of each (i.e., their "fears") rather than capitalizing on the boldness of each in their own environment.



Well said.


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## QORvanweert (23 Aug 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> It means that the sailor, for example, though highly confident of his ability to fight a blue water battle, will be hesitant to enthusiastically promote any plan dependent on a land battle or air support.  Each of the others will have similar reservations regarding the other environments.  Therefore, any joint plan will be based on mitigating the cautiousness of each (i.e., their "fears") rather than capitalizing on the boldness of each in their own environment.



Thank You for the clarity.


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## Blackadder1916 (23 Aug 2010)

While O'Leary provides a very good explanation of the quote, it may be useful to situate the quote in time and place to better understand the intent of Churchill's meaning.  These words were first published in Harold Macmillian's The Blast of War 1939-1945 (1967).  They were attributed to have been said by Churchill on 16 Nov 1943 and were about the Chiefs of Staff system or (probably) more specifically about the then current "Chiefs of Staff Committee" with whom he didn't not always agree.


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## Old Sweat (23 Aug 2010)

It should also be remembered that Churchill was impetuous and apt to jump on his horse and ride off in all directions. He was, in his desire to crush Nazism, prone towards wild ideas that would have led to disaster. Alanbrooke, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, wrote at length in his diary about the struggles he and the other heads of the British services had keeping "Winston" focused on the doable and the practical. Despite that, Alanbrooke respected and liked Churchill very, very much, in spite of or perhaps partly because of his boyish enthusiasm.


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