"War should be the politics of last resort. And when we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support."

Wisdom

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Insight & Reflection

The theme of wisdom is universal, yet Colin Powell manages to capture its essence in a uniquely profound way. Taking a moment to internalize this can shift our mindset, reminding us that our perspective on wisdom often shapes our reality.

About Colin Powell

Colin Luther Powell was an American U.S. Army general, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, being the first Black American to hold the office, and was the highest-ranking Black American in the federal executive branch in American history until the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008. Initially politically independent, Powell joined the Republican Party in 1995, but left it in 2021 following the January 6 United States Capitol attack. He was the 15th national security advisor from 1987 to 1989, and the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Colin Powell

"I think whether you're having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude."

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"Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see the time when that number of nuclear weapons is down to zero and the world is a much better place."

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"Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."

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More about Wisdom

"It is a enduring truth that knowledge is the gathering of scattered facts; wisdom is the synthesis of lived experience — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a steadfast truth that a dream nurtured by daily toil will inevitably outshine a wish born of idle hope — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a quiet truth that the moral compass points true only when freed from the magnetism of personal gain — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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