Wars almost never end the way starters had in mind.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Peter Keating: “Do you always have to have a purpose? Do you always have to be so damn serious? Can’t you ever do things without reason, just like everybody else? You’re so serious, so old. Everything’s important with you. Everything’s great, significant in some way, every minute, even when you keep still. Can’t you ever be comfortable—and unimportant?”
Howard Roark: “No”.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, ‘You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.’
—George Carlin (1937–2008) American Stand-up Comedian
All that a man does outwardly is but the expression and completion of his inward thought. To work effectually, he must think clearly; to act nobly, he must think nobly. Intellectual force is a principal element of the soul’s life, and should be proposed by every man as the principal end of his being.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
I’ll tell you that for me, one when someone used to say something that was true, one way I knew it was true was that I immediately felt defensive. I blocked it off, and I went to war with them in my mind and suffered all that goes with it. And they were only saying what was true.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
In war, three quarters turns on personal character and relations; the balance of manpower and materials counts only for the remaining quarter.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
There’s only one proper way for a professional soldier to die. That’s from the last bullet, of the last battle, of the last war.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
You are free when you have no anxious thoughts about what happens to you.
—Vernon Howard (1918–92) American Spiritual Teacher, Philosopher
Force, and fraud, are in war the two cardinal virtues.
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) English Political Philosopher
The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
It is far easier to make war than to make peace.
—Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) French Head of State, Physician, Publisher, Political leader
I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed, there would be no more wars.
—Abbie Hoffman (1936–89) American Political Activist, Anarchist
Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation. Effective international police actions require the highest degree of intelligence sharing, planning and collaborative enforcement.
—Barack Obama (b.1961) American Head of State, Academic, Politician, Author
Let the gulled fool the toils of war pursue, where bleed the many to enrich the few.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
There exists a special self which takes every event as if it were the very thing you wanted to happen. That self is the Supermind, which is never upset by anything. Your goal is to nourish it into greater strength. Then, every step is sunlit.
—Vernon Howard (1918–92) American Spiritual Teacher, Philosopher
You can’t say that civilization don’t advance… for in every war they kill you a new way.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
There are two things which will always be very difficult for a democratic nation: to start a war and to end it.
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) French Historian, Political Scientist
As far as I know, everyone feels fear as he or she moves forward through life. It is absolutely possible that there are some evolved souls in this world who never experience fear, but I have not met them.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
The best armor is to keep out of gun shot.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Five miles meandering with mazy motion,
Through dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank the tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And ‘mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
I don’t know a greater advantage, than to appreciate the worth of an enemy.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
It is certain that the two World Wars in which I have participated would not have occurred had we been prepared. It is my belief that adequate preparation on our part would have prevented or materially shortened all our other wars beginning with that of 1812. Yet, after each of our wars, there has always been a great hue and cry to the effect that there will be no more wars, that disarmament is the sure road to health, happiness, and peace; and that by removing the fire department, we will remove fires. These ideas spring from wishful thinking and from the erroneous belief that wars result from logical processes. There is no logic in wars. They are produced by madmen. No man can say when future madmen will reappear. I do not say that there will be no more wars; I devoutly hope that there will not, but I do say that the chances of avoiding future wars will be greatly enhanced if we are ready.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
I venture to say no war can be long carried on against the will of the people.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
Politics and war are remarkably similar situations.
—Newt Gingrich (b.1943) American Politician
The chief evil of war is more evil. War is the concentration of all human crimes. Here is its distinguishing, accursed brand. Under its standard gather violence, malignity, rage, fraud, perfidy, rapacity, and lust. If it only slew man, it would do little. It turns man into a beast of prey.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his goal in seven-league boots.
—Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) Serbian-American Electrical Engineer, Inventor
You’ve never lived until you’ve almost died, for those who fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know.
—Anonymous
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