The Practical Value Of History Is To

Vitality Springs From Diversity -- Which Makes For Real Progress So Long As There Is Mutual Toleration, Based On The Recognition That Worse May Come From An Attempt To Suppress Differences Than From Acceptance Of Them. For This Reason, The Kind Of Peace That Makes Progress Possible Is Best Assured By The Mutual Checks Created By A Balance Of Forces-alike In The Sphere Of Internal Politics And Of International Relations.

In Any Problem Where An Opposing Force Exists And Cannot Be Regulated, One Must Foresee And Provide For Alternative Courses. Adaptability Is The Law Which Governs Survival In War As In Life ... To Be Practical, Any Plan Must Take Account Of The Enemy's Power To Frustrate It; The Best Chance Of Overcoming Such Obstruction Is To Have A Plan That Can Be Easily Varied To Fit The Circumstances Met.

Air Power Is, Above All, A Psychological Weapon - And Only Short-sighted Soldiers, Too Battle-minded, Underrate The Importance Of Psychological Factors In War.

The Search For The Truth For Truth's Sake Is The Mark Of The Historian.

Opposition To The Truth Is Inevitable, Especially If It Takes The Form Of A New Idea, But The Degree Of Resistance Can Be Diminished- By Giving Thought Not Only To The Aim But To The Method Of Approach. Avoid A Frontal Attack On A Long Established Position; Instead, Seek To Turn It By Flank Movement, So That A More Penetrable Side Is Exposed To The Thrust Of Truth. But, In Any Such Indirect Approach, Take Care Not To Diverge From The Truth- For Nothing Is More Fatal To Its Real Advancement Than To Lapse Into Untruth.