It would be, in fact, very ominous if Iraq were to be able to get weapon-usable material, hydro-plutonium or highly enriched uranium from abroad.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
Even with the best intentions, you can have a nuclear war, a nuclear holocaust, through miscalculation, through accidents.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Well-intentioned actions can lead to disastrous outcomes if not carefully managed.
This quote by Mohamed ElBaradei reflects on the complexities of human intentions and the potential consequences of our actions, especially in scenarios involving great power and risk. It highlights the importance of caution and precision, implying that even a noble aim can result in catastrophic outcomes due to human error or misjudgment, underscoring the need for responsibility in decision-making.
Themes
IntentionsConsequencesMiscalculationNuclearResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation on risk management, use this quote to emphasize the importance of careful planning.
More from Mohamed Elbaradei
All quotes βCountries that perceive themselves to be vulnerable can be expected to try to redress that vulnerability - and in some cases, they will pursue clandestine weapons programs.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
Egypt needs to catch up with the rest of the world. We need to be free, democratic, and - society where people have the right to live in freedom and dignity.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
I couldn't have imagined that I would live long enough to see Egypt emancipated from decades of repression.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
Psychology is as important as substance. If you treat people with respect, they will go out of their way to accommodate you. If you treat them in a patronizing way, they will go out of their way to make your life difficult.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
The gravest threat faced by the world is of an extremist group getting hold of nuclear weapons or materials.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
Similar quotes
Now, when Luke Skywalker unmasks his father, he is taking off the machine role that the father has played. The father was the uniform. That is power, the state role.
Joseph CampbellRead
You can have the other words-chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I'll take grace. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'll take it.
Mary OliverRead
Religion is a search for transcendence. But transcendence isn't necessarily sited in an external god, which can be a very unspiritual, unreligious concept.
Karen ArmstrongRead
Every neurosis is a primitive form of legal proceeding in which the accused carries on the prosecution, imposes judgment and executes the sentence: all to the end that someone else should not perform the same process.
Lionel TrillingRead
When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.
Joseph CampbellRead
All you really need to know for the moment is that the universe is a lot more complicated than you might think, even if you start from a position of thinking it's pretty damn complicated in the first place.
Douglas AdamsRead