“I wish that the Indians believed me a god, for upon the report of an enemy's valor oftentimes depends the success of a battle, and false reports have many times done as great things as true courage and resolution.”
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About this quote
The line forces a clear lesson: reputation, information, and storytelling change outcomes as much as raw ability. Treat perception as part of your strategy—fix what others believe, prepare better than they expect, and stop blaming circumstances. Own the facts you can control, act decisively, and hold yourself accountable for the results.
When to use it
- Before a product launch, tell your team that rumors and first impressions will decide customer trust—verify claims, seed credible information, and be ready to act.
- In a leadership meeting, use the line to argue for controlling the narrative instead of making excuses when a project fails.
- When you find yourself procrastinating, ask whether you're hiding behind a story to avoid hard work and then force one concrete action right now.
- On a competitive project, use strong, truthful communications to shape perception while you quietly build real capability.