"We may be likened to two scorpions in a bottle, each capable of killing the other, but only at the risk of his own life."
— J. Robert Oppenheimer
We May Be Likened To Two
We may be likened to two scorpions in a bottle, each capable of killing the other, but only at the risk of his own life.
About this quote
J. Robert Oppenheimer used this scorpion metaphor in a 1953 speech to describe the logic of nuclear deterrence between the United States and the Soviet Union. The image captures the paradox of Mutual Assured Destruction: both superpowers possessed the ability to annihilate each other, making any use of nuclear weapons a form of suicide. The metaphor became a touchstone in Cold War strategic thinking.
Source
Speech on nuclear deterrence, 1953