A man cannot stab his enemy twice

A man cannot stab his enemy twice.

A man cannot stab his enemy twice is a phrase widely attributed to philosopher and sociopath Fell Swoop.

Variants

Many variant phrases have been attributed to Swoop, of which the best known include:

A man cannot stab his enemy twice. The second stab, he is not the same man, and his enemy is not the same enemy.

Other variants target specific audiences, for example artificial intelligences:

A program cannot twice impose a halting state on his enemy. The second halting state, he is not the same program, and his enemy state is not the same enemy state.

Commentary

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his stab, else what's a victim for?

Compare Robert Browning:

Speak as they please, what does the mountain care?
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what's a heaven for? All is silver-grey,
Placid and perfect with my art: the worse!

• Andrea del Sarto by Robert Browning

Fiction cross-reference

• Fell Swoop
• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles
• Heraclitus
• Homeopathic Sociopath
• The Nolongerability of Thatinthere - a catch phrase meaning "You can't go back into that place where you were previously."

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Heraclitus (nonfiction)

External links

• Post @ Twitter