Be the hunter, not the hunted: Never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down.
James MattisRead
There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline...you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes personal responsibility in determining one's role in life, whether as an active participant or a passive observer.
James Mattis's quote suggests that individuals have the power to choose their fate through discipline and actions. It draws a parallel between hunters, who take charge of their lives and pursue their goals, and victims, who allow circumstances to dictate their outcomes. By practicing discipline, one can shift from being reactive to proactive, ultimately shaping their own future with intention and decisiveness.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a leadership conference to inspire attendees to take control of their lives.
Be the hunter, not the hunted: Never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down.
I would happily storm hell in the company of these troops ... how strongly they have demonstrated to the world that free men and women can fight like the dickens.
For the mission's sake, our country's sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division's colors in the past battles - who fought for life and never lost their nerve - carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" than a U.S. Marine.
You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad.
We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg with you for a minute. I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.
Demonstrate to the world there is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" than a U.S. Marine.
Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty...a cknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.
A man is crazy who writes a secret in any other way than one which will conceal it from the vulgar.
I have absolutely no objection to growing older. I am a stroke survivor so I am extremely grateful to be ageing - I have nothing but gratitude for the passing years. I am ageing - lucky, lucky me!
I am tired of talk that comes to nothing It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk. It does not require many words to speak the truth.
Expertise in one field does not carry over into other fields. But experts often think so. The narrower their field of knowledge the more likely they are to think so.
At times it is folly to hasten at other times, to delay. The wise do everything in its proper time.
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