No country can act wisely simultaneously in every part of the globe at every moment of time.

The line expresses a realist view of statecraft: even a superpower faces limits of attention, information, and resources, so attempting to manage every crisis everywhere at once invites overreach and error. Kissinger’s diplomacy often emphasized prioritization—choosing which regions and issues are vital, which can be deferred, and which require compromise—rather than pursuing universal, simultaneous activism. The quote also implies that “wisdom” in foreign policy depends on sequencing and selectivity: coherent strategy requires accepting trade-offs, focusing on core interests, and resisting the temptation to treat every global problem as equally urgent or solvable by one country at one time.