--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There had been as many plagues in the…" description: "\"“There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people equelly unprepared.”\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg" --- # There had been as many plagues in the world as there had… ![“There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people equelly unprepared.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg) > ““There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people equelly unprepared.”” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human history repeats crises; societies stay unprepared despite warnings. **In simple terms:** History repeats, unprepared. Key Takeaway Learn from past crises. Themes history preparedness human nature Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - public policy - education - healthcare planning Key Concepts philosophy risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What lessons have we ignored from past plagues? - How can societies improve preparedness? A Different Perspective Complacency can hinder learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Plagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plagues/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars-in-history-yet-always-plagues/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world; yet somehow we find it hard to believe in ones that crash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/everybody-knows-that-pestilences-have-a-way-of-recurring-in-the-world-2/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Of all the plagues with which the world is curst, Of every ill, a woman is the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-granville-1st-baron-lansdowne/of-all-the-plagues-with-which-the-world-is-curst-of-every-ill-a-woman/) [George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-granville-1st-baron-lansdowne/) > [I have lived to see the greatest plague on earth -- the condemning of God's word, a fearful thing, surpassing all other plagues in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/i-have-lived-to-see-the-greatest-plague-on-earth-the-condemning-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Every war, every plague is God’s judgment. But every man who rises up to stop the wars and the plagues is God’s instrument. Human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kramer/every-war-every-plague-is-god-s-judgment-but-every-man-who-rises-up/) [John Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kramer/) > [“Bad things happen—wars, plagues, parents abandoning their children, the heartless preying on those with hearts—and no one, not a human or a god, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/bad-things-happen-wars-plagues-parents-abandoning-their-children-the/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [These movies belonged to the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries that period of great, unsustainable, and hedonistic prosperity, driven by the burning of Earth's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/these-movies-belonged-to-the-twentieth-and-early-twenty-first/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [There are plagues, and there are victims, and it's the duty of good men not to join forces with the plagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-are-plagues-and-there-are-victims-and-it-s-the-duty-of-good-men/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [In countries where there are real civil wars, people go through a lot, and we should be willing to go through a lot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/in-countries-where-there-are-real-civil-wars-people-go-through-a-lot/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Just as the world cannot live on wars, so people cannot on revolutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/just-as-the-world-cannot-live-on-wars-so-people-cannot-on-revolutions/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“Sebastian will never fight wars, but it's because of people like him that the rest of us don't have to fight as many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-milan/sebastian-will-never-fight-wars-but-it-s-because-of-people-like-him/) [Courtney Milan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-milan/) > [“Let me tell you the truth about the world to which you so desperately want to return. It is a place of pain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/let-me-tell-you-the-truth-about-the-world-to-which-you-so-desperately/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“Let me tell you the truth about the world to which you so desperately want to return. It is a place of pain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/let-me-tell-you-the-truth-about-the-world-to-which-you-so-desperately-2/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [I wish everyone was a sci-fi geek because then there would be no violence in the world. There'd be no wars. There'd only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-christian/i-wish-everyone-was-a-sci-fi-geek-because-then-there-would-be-no/) [Claudia Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-christian/) > [lack of self-esteem is what causes wars because people who really love themselves don't go out and try to fight other people ... It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/lack-of-self-esteem-is-what-causes-wars-because-people-who-really/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) [Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More Plagues quotes > [It seems to me the worst of all the plagues is the slug, the snail without a shell. He is beyond description repulsive, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-thaxter/it-seems-to-me-the-worst-of-all-the-plagues-is-the-slug-the-snail/) [Celia Thaxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-thaxter/) > [Every conflict plagues the peace that follows it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/every-conflict-plagues-the-peace-that-follows-it/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [There are plagues, and there are victims, and it's the duty of good men not to join forces with the plagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-are-plagues-and-there-are-victims-and-it-s-the-duty-of-good-men/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Close your eyes. Pray for plagues. Oh Lord cleanse this earth And bring upon our doomsday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/close-your-eyes-pray-for-plagues-oh-lord-cleanse-this-earth-and-bring/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I have lived to see the greatest plague on earth -- the condemning of God's word, a fearful thing, surpassing all other plagues in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/i-have-lived-to-see-the-greatest-plague-on-earth-the-condemning-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Verse 12 \[of Ex. 12) tells us that the judgment of Yahweh is not only on the Egyptians but also on their deities. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-witherington-iii/verse-12-of-ex-12-tells-us-that-the-judgment-of-yahweh-is-not-only-on/) [Ben Witherington III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-witherington-iii/) > [And of all plagues with which mankind are curst, Ecclesiastic tyranny's the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/and-of-all-plagues-with-which-mankind-are-curst-ecclesiastic-tyranny/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [As for AIDS, it's a plague. We are human, we get plagues. They come along every so often, kill off two thirds of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/as-for-aids-it-s-a-plague-we-are-human-we-get-plagues-they-come-along/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Fears of creating new kinds of plagues or of altering human evolution or of irreversibly altering the environment were only some of the concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-berg/fears-of-creating-new-kinds-of-plagues-or-of-altering-human-evolution/) [Paul Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-berg/) > [“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars-in-history-yet-always-plagues/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Plagues were nothing new to Europe…. They were recorded as far back as 1347, and continued on until 1750. In 1649, a terrible epidemic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba-2/plagues-were-nothing-new-to-europe-they-were-recorded-as-far-back-as/) Captain Hank Bracker, "The Exciting Story of Cuba > [What plagues people is not those who don't love them, but those who do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gilbert/what-plagues-people-is-not-those-who-don-t-love-them-but-those-who-do/) [Michael Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gilbert/) > [“Or he’d watch the news: more plagues, more famines, more floods, more insect or microbe or small-mammal outbreaks, more droughts, more chickenshit boy-soldier wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/or-he-d-watch-the-news-more-plagues-more-famines-more-floods-more/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Even in those cities which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace, and where the arts florish, the inhabitants are devoured by envy, cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/even-in-those-cities-which-seem-to-enjoy-the-blessings-of-peace-and/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Michael Oldstone, in his book Viruses, Plagues, and History, wrote: “The obliteration of diseases that impinge on our health is a regal yardstick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-caldwell-crosby/michael-oldstone-in-his-book-viruses-plagues-and-history-wrote-the/) Molly Caldwell Crosby [Browse all 28 Plagues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plagues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people equelly unprepared.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-world-as-there-had-been-wars/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Plagues" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-world-as-there-had-been-wars/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a67/albert-camus-47_war_there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-wo_2156121.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people…” — Albert Camus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Camus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There had been as many plagues...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-world-as-there-had-been-wars/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-world-as-there-had-been-wars/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```