Explore Quotes by George S. Patton

Don't fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.

The duties of an officer are the safety, honor, and welfare of your country first; the honor, welfare, and comfort of the men in your command second; and the officer s own ease, comfort, and safety last.

Never in history has the navy landed an army at the planned time and place. But if you land us anywhere within 50 miles of Fedela and within 1 week of D-Day. I'll go ahead and win.

Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it.

There is only one sort of discipline - PERFECT DISCIPLINE. Men cannot have good battle discipline and poor administrative discipline.

I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed! Gen.

Most battles are won before they are ever fought.

When in doubt, observe and ask questions. When certain, observe at length and ask many more questions.

There is no such thing as a successful defense.

I have studied the enemy all my life. I have read the memoirs of his generals and his leaders. I have even read his philosophers and listened to his music. I have studied in detail the account of every damned one of his battles. I know exactly how he will react under any given set of circumstances. And he hasn't the slightest idea of what I'm going to do. So when the time comes, I'm going to whip the hell out of him.

Do not try to make circumstances fit your plans. Make plans that fit the circumstances.

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

Untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets.

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

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.

Battle is an orgy of disorder.

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

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

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.

Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.