E. W. Howe Quotes

There's nothing wrong with a plan, but remember Von Moltke's famous dictum that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. The danger is a plan that seduces us into thinking failure is impossible and adaptation is unnecessary - a kind of ‘Titanic' plan, unsinkable (until it hits the iceberg).

We're hoping for the best, but we need to prepare for the worst.

I'm not so naive as to think that everybody always succeeds, right? I mean, half of Shakespeare's stories are tragedies - right?

I always try to plan things out, but they never work out the way I expect.

If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.

You cannot prepare enough for anything.

Hope is not a strategy.

Always think the worst. That way you will avoid too much disappointment in life.

I really believe in hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Every time I try to plan something or assume that something's going to happen, it never works out like that.

I'm an optimistic realist. I kind of expect the worst but prepare for the best.

Never expect anything, but plan for everything.

Be safe and be realistic. They're both equally important.

It may seem like improv because it flows quite naturally, and a little bit of leeway for improvisation is good, but you have to be judicious with it. So it's good, but sometimes people deify it. You can't improvise your way out of a paper hat.

Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan.

Never try a shot you haven't practised.

I've always wanted to sail around the world in a handmade boat. And I built a boat. I had a boat built for me, I mean, and my second day out to sea I realized that (a) I'm not a sailor, and (b) I have no knowledge of basic navigation.

The World Cup was a huge frustration because I had prepared really hard for it. But in the World Cup there is no formula, no recipe for success.

We must prepare for everything.

A wise man should never resolve upon anything, at least, never let the world know his resolution, for if he cannot reach that he is ashamed.

I may say that this is the greatest factor: the way in which the expedition is equipped, the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order, luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time, this is called bad luck.

I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.

In this business if you're good, you're right six times out of ten. You're never going to be right nine times out of ten.

Hope is not a strategy.

For want of a block, man will stumble at a straw.