Michael Ignatieff Quotes

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

In the military we plan for the worst case, because we have learned that if you do not, you will be surprised.

You can’t prepare for the best case; you have to prepare for the worst case.

I always prepare for the worst.

Anything you say before a pandemic occurs sounds alarmist; anything you say after it occurs is inadequate.

To prepare for a disaster, practice the worst case scenario. We don’t usually do that.

We must solve problems before they occur, rather than scrambling to deal with crises after they erupt..

Don't wait until you're in a crisis to come up with a crisis plan.

I just try to think of all the things that could go wrong so in that split second when it happens, maybe your body reacts in a way where it protects you just a little.

The best way to cope with trouble is to stay out of it as much as possible.

It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.

Foresight turns out to be a critical adaptive strategy for times of great stress.

I always anticipated difficulties in order to avoid scenes.

Could we have prevented in 100% certainty? I don't think anything is that certain. However, we would have had a very, very good chance for preventing it.

The military has to think in terms of worst case scenarios. In a sense, they have to play the pessimist.

The challenge of our times is to leave nothing to chance.

Crisis management … is the worst type of policy because you will miss things.

… problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.

In the military, we have known for decades, if not centuries, that the time to prepare, whether it's for a hurricane, a typhoon or strategic changes, is before they hit you

A government must always be prepared for the unexpected.

We necessarily operate in an environment in which there's a great deal of uncertainty. In such an environment, it makes sense to use a risk-management approach to identify and avoid the big mistakes. That's one reason I favor a cautious approach.

Look several months ahead, see where the obstacles lie, and figure out ways to overcome them.

I'm always prepared for the worst.

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

With everything in my life, I don't think too much ahead.