proverb · Words worth keeping
Attack is the best form of defence.
Attack is the best form of defence.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying ranks attack as the best defence. It favours taking the initiative against a threat rather than only responding.
What the words are saying
Best presents a strategy as universally superior without identifying the situation. A critical explanation can analyse that preference without recommending a pre-emptive strike or supplying fighting tactics. Acting first may worsen a conflict, and the wording establishes neither safety nor justification.
Everyday example
A reader questions whether a confrontational response would actually address the stated concern.
When to use it
Use it to examine a preference for initiative critically.
What it does not mean
No safest strategy, permission to harm or universal superiority of attack is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 458; PDF page 68
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.