George S. Patton's Quotes

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.

Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.

There is only one sort of discipline, perfect discipline.

A piece of spaghetti or a military unit can only be led from the front end.

All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated.

Battle is an orgy of disorder.

If a man does his best, what else is there?

Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.

There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear.

Do your damnedest in an ostentatious manner all the time.

Untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets.

I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.

Better to fight for something than live for nothing.

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results.

We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.

Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.

You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals.