Skip to content

Don’t you know it is wrong to kill? Yes. But you do it?…

“Don’t you know it is wrong to kill? Yes. But you do it? Yes. And you still believe absolutely that your cause is right? Yes.” quote by Ernest Hemingway
Download Open image
““Don’t you know it is wrong to kill? Yes. But you do it? Yes. And you still believe absolutely that your cause is right? Yes.””

Ernest Hemingway

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote challenges the moral paradox of committing violence while believing one's cause is just.

In simple terms: It questions killing for a cause you think is right.

Key Takeaway

Examine the ethics of your actions.

Themes

morality war cognitive dissonance

Mood

conflicted thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • military service
  • political activism
  • civil protest
  • personal decisions

Key Concepts

ethical relativism just war theory

Questions to Reflect On

  • Is your cause worth the violence?
  • How do you reconcile actions with beliefs?
A Different Perspective

Blind belief can ignore the harm caused.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Ernest Hemingway

Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes

More Believe Absolutely quotes

Browse all 15 Believe Absolutely quotes