"Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives"

This quote by Abba Eban suggests that people and countries are often sluggish to make wise decisions. They frequently exhaust all other alternatives before they make a wise decision. This could be due to a lack of foresight or a hesitation to alter. It could likewise be due to an absence of understanding of the effects of their actions. The quote indicates that it is only when all other alternatives have been tired that people and countries are forced to make wise decisions. This might be due to an awareness that their current strategy is not working, or that the effects of their actions are too extreme to disregard. Eventually, this quote recommends that people and countries are often slow to make sensible choices, however when they do, it is usually since they have tired all other options.