In the field of diplomacy, there are no absolute victories, only relative victories.
"The only way to get better is to play against the best."
The strength of a nation's institutions is not just in their formal rules, but in the informal norms that govern behavior and the degree to which they are internalized by the population.
I think that plays are there to disturb, not to reassure.
The forest doesn't need us, but we need the forest—this truth should guide every decision we make in forestry.