“Can you be paranoid about being paranoid?” She smiled sweetly. “If anyone can, it’s you.” - Lois McMaster Bujold

“We were told the Betans killed you, sir,” he said suspiciously.
“Yes, it’s a rumor I’ve had difficulty living down,” said Vorkosigan. “You can see it’s not true.”
“Your funeral was splendid,” said Koudelka. “You should have been there.”
“Next time, perhaps,” Vorkosigan grinned.
“Oh. You know I didn’t mean it that way, sir. Lieutenant Radnov made the best speech.”
“I’m sure. He’d probably been working on it for months.”

It could be worse was always an unassailable assertion.

No tactical plan should hinge on one’s enemy making the right mistake.