David Omand > Quotes

“Trustworthiness therefore comes from consistent, predictable, reliable behaviour over a long period of time demonstrating honesty, competence and reliability.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“Strategic notice enables us to anticipate. Governments had strategic notice of possible coronavirus pandemics – the COVID-19 outbreak should not have caught us unprepared.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“There can be many reasons for failure to predict developments correctly. One of the most common reasons is simply the human temptation to indulge in magical thinking, imagining that things will turn out as we want without any credible causal explanation of how that will come about. We”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov complained of those who have been ‘nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is as good as your knowledge’.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“Intelligence agencies have learned more than most the lesson that strong partnerships add value. And they know the time it takes to build the necessary reputation for trustworthiness in handling other people’s confidences.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“As a general rule, users are more likely to embrace highly targeted appeals – even if based on false information – as long as they appear to reinforce their core beliefs. This is exploitation of a form of the confirmation bias that we explored in Chapter 5. ‘It might have been true’ too easily morphs into ‘It should have been true’, and that becomes, with frequent repetition, ‘I want it to be true’, and finally ‘It is as good as true.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“confidence”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“Critical examination of the evidence and quality of argument is the best defence.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“As trust builds up, so relationships deepen and the value to be derived from them increases. With that greater mutual confidence, the parties can plan new ventures and mutual investment together. Higher risk can be accepted in those circumstances, with the corresponding potential for higher gain.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“would start with recognition of mutual trustworthiness as the most valuable attribute of any successful partnership.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“There is now also a substantial body of reliable information on Russian disinformation operations directed into Europe to alter attitudes to the conflict in Ukraine. Common themes identified by the special EU cell that is monitoring this disinformation activity include the allegation that Ukraine is to be invited to join the EU and NATO, that Ukraine was responsible for downing the Malaysian airliner MH17, that there are fascist roots to the government in Kiev, that COVID-19 was covert bio-warfare by the US against China, and that NATO is planning aggression against Russia.15 Germany has”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

“Personal working relationships as well as sound processes matter in building lasting partnerships.”
― David Omand, How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence