--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been as many plagues as wars…" description: "\"“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/albert-camus-47_history_there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars_1497048.jpg" --- # There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet… ![“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/albert-camus-47_history_there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars_1497048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/albert-camus-47_history_there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars_1497048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/albert-camus-47_history_there-have-been-as-many-plagues-as-wars_1497048.jpg) > ““There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”” [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 catastrophic events that catch societies off guard, whether disease or conflict. **In simple terms:** Unexpected crises strike repeatedly. Key Takeaway Prepare for the unexpected. Themes history human nature uncertainty Mood reflective serious Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - public health planning - war preparedness - education curricula - policy making Key Concepts existentialism fate collective memory Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better anticipate crises? - What lessons from past plagues apply to modern threats? A Different Perspective Surprises are inevitable, but learning from past can reduce impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Plagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plagues/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [“There had been as many plagues in the world as there had been wars, yet plagues and wars always find people equelly unprepared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-had-been-as-many-plagues-in-the-world-as-there-had-been-wars/) [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/) > [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/) > [History isn't about dates and places and wars. It's about the people who fill the spaces between them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/history-isn-t-about-dates-and-places-and-wars-it-s-about-the-people/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The wars of people will be more terrible than those of kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-s-churchill/the-wars-of-people-will-be-more-terrible-than-those-of-kings/) [Winston S. Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-s-churchill/) > [In the World Wars, people were perfectly able to shoot other people just because they belonged to the wrong country, without ever asking what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/in-the-world-wars-people-were-perfectly-able-to-shoot-other-people/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Where there are repeated wars, the people are weakened; when they score repeated victories, rulers become haughty. 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