--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The surest way to become a pacifist is to…" description: "\"The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.\" — Bill Mauldin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png" --- # The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry. ![“The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.” quote by Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png) > “The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.” [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Becoming a pacifist is paradoxically achieved through direct experience of war’s brutality. **In simple terms:** War experience can lead to pacifism. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of firsthand conflict. Themes war pacifism experience Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - military service - peace activism - counseling for veterans Key Concepts psychology of violence ethical transformation Questions to Reflect On - What experiences change one's view on war? - Can exposure to violence always foster peace? A Different Perspective Not all soldiers become pacifists; personal factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Infantry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infantry/) [Pacifist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifist/) ## Related quotes > [I'm convinced that the infantry is the group in the army which gives more and gets less than anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-m-convinced-that-the-infantry-is-the-group-in-the-army-which-gives/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [“Some lasting terms of military organization owe their origin to Spain: colonel comes from cabo de colunela, or head of a column; infantry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/some-lasting-terms-of-military-organization-owe-their-origin-to-spain/) [Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/) > [Artillery conquers and infantry occupies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-f-c-fuller/artillery-conquers-and-infantry-occupies/) [J. F. C. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-f-c-fuller/) > [There's a fragment that goes, "Some say the most beautiful thing in the world is a great cavalry riding down over the hill. Others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hamill/there-s-a-fragment-that-goes-some-say-the-most-beautiful-thing-in-the/) [Sam Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hamill/) > [Let's presume that a country or army has this weapon ; this kind of armaments cannot be used by infantry for example or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/let-s-presume-that-a-country-or-army-has-this-weapon-this-kind-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [There are now 17,000 local American police forces that are armed with rocket launchers, bazookas, heavy machine guns, all kinds of chemical sprays, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/there-are-now-17-000-local-american-police-forces-that-are-armed-with/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I am in the infantry for 17 weeks and after that I don't know where I am going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-slovik/i-am-in-the-infantry-for-17-weeks-and-after-that-i-don-t-know-where-i/) [Eddie Slovik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-slovik/) > [My father - I once asked him what was his greatest achievement. He said his greatest achievement was that he fought in five wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/my-father-i-once-asked-him-what-was-his-greatest-achievement-he-said/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Oh-h-h-h— Hidey, tidey, Christ Almighty Who the hell are we? Flim, flam, God damn We’re the infantry…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/oh-h-h-h-hidey-tidey-christ-almighty-who-the-hell-are-we-flim-flam/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [By the last returns to the Department of War the militia force of the several States may be estimated at 800,000 men - infantry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-monroe/by-the-last-returns-to-the-department-of-war-the-militia-force-of-the/) [James Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-monroe/) > [Like Iran and Syria supplied Hezbollah with sophisticated anti-tank rockets - Matisse, Cornet, and other RPGs that caused great damage to Israeli tanks and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronen-bergman/like-iran-and-syria-supplied-hezbollah-with-sophisticated-anti-tank/) [Ronen Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronen-bergman/) > [Do not touch anything unnecessarily. Beware of pretty girls in dance halls and parks who may be spies, as well as bicycles, revolvers, uniforms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/do-not-touch-anything-unnecessarily-beware-of-pretty-girls-in-dance/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [“The beauty of the infantry is its ability to truly teach tolerance. At the lowest level, when it is simply a matter of survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-fenner/the-beauty-of-the-infantry-is-its-ability-to-truly-teach-tolerance-at/) [Adam Fenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-fenner/) > [It is remarkable that this people, though unarmed, dares attack an armed foe; the infantry defy the cavalry, and by their activity and courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giraldus-cambrensis/it-is-remarkable-that-this-people-though-unarmed-dares-attack-an/) [Giraldus Cambrensis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giraldus-cambrensis/) > [Artillery is more essential to cavalry than to infantry, because cavalry has no fire for its defence, but depends on the sabre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/artillery-is-more-essential-to-cavalry-than-to-infantry-because/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Bill Mauldin > [Patton was living in the Dark Ages. Soldiers were peasants to him. I didn't like that attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/patton-was-living-in-the-dark-ages-soldiers-were-peasants-to-him-i/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [Certainly none of the advances made in civilization has been due to counterrevolutionaries and advocates of the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/certainly-none-of-the-advances-made-in-civilization-has-been-due-to/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [I would like to thank the people who encouraged me to draw army cartoons at a time when the gag man's conception of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-would-like-to-thank-the-people-who-encouraged-me-to-draw-army/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from the day he was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mail-like-many-others-i-ve-been/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [If you're a leader, you don't push wet spaghetti, you pull it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/if-you-re-a-leader-you-don-t-push-wet-spaghetti-you-pull-it/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [“When we ain't fightin' we should act like sojers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/when-we-ain-t-fightin-we-should-act-like-sojers/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-feel-like-a-fugitive-from-the-law-of-averages/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [The American public highly overrates its sense of humor. We're great belly laughers and prat fallers, but we never really did have a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-american-public-highly-overrates-its-sense-of-humor-we-re-great/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [ “\[Editorial cartooning\] is essentially a destructive art. We are not pontificators, or molders of thought—or at least we shouldn't try to be. Ours is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/editorial-cartooning-is-essentially-a-destructive-art-we-are-not/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [If you're a leader, you don't push wet spaghetti, you pull it. The U.S. Army still has to learn that. The British understand it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/if-you-re-a-leader-you-don-t-push-wet-spaghetti-you-pull-it-the-u-s/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [Humor is really laughing off a hurt, grinning at misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/humor-is-really-laughing-off-a-hurt-grinning-at-misery/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [My outlook on warfare is best illustrated by a cartoon I did some thirty-odd years ago of a soldier in an Italian foxhole reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/my-outlook-on-warfare-is-best-illustrated-by-a-cartoon-i-did-some/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [I drew pictures for and about the soldiers because I knew what their life was like and understood their gripes. I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-drew-pictures-for-and-about-the-soldiers-because-i-knew-what-their/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > ['Peace' is when nobody's shooting. A 'just peace' is when our side gets what it wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/peace-is-when-nobody-s-shooting-a-just-peace-is-when-our-side-gets/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) > [ “When you lose a friend \[in battle\] you have an overpowering desire to go back home and yell in everybody's ear, "This guy was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/when-you-lose-a-friend-in-battle-you-have-an-overpowering-desire-to/) [Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) [Explore all 19 Bill Mauldin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/) ## More Infantry quotes > [Artillery is more essential to cavalry than to infantry, because cavalry has no fire for its defence, but depends on the sabre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/artillery-is-more-essential-to-cavalry-than-to-infantry-because/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [It is remarkable that this people, though unarmed, dares attack an armed foe; the infantry defy the cavalry, and by their activity and courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giraldus-cambrensis/it-is-remarkable-that-this-people-though-unarmed-dares-attack-an/) [Giraldus Cambrensis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giraldus-cambrensis/) > [“The beauty of the infantry is its ability to truly teach tolerance. At the lowest level, when it is simply a matter of survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-fenner/the-beauty-of-the-infantry-is-its-ability-to-truly-teach-tolerance-at/) [Adam Fenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-fenner/) > [Do not touch anything unnecessarily. Beware of pretty girls in dance halls and parks who may be spies, as well as bicycles, revolvers, uniforms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/do-not-touch-anything-unnecessarily-beware-of-pretty-girls-in-dance/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Like Iran and Syria supplied Hezbollah with sophisticated anti-tank rockets - Matisse, Cornet, and other RPGs that caused great damage to Israeli tanks and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronen-bergman/like-iran-and-syria-supplied-hezbollah-with-sophisticated-anti-tank/) [Ronen Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronen-bergman/) > [By the last returns to the Department of War the militia force of the several States may be estimated at 800,000 men - infantry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-monroe/by-the-last-returns-to-the-department-of-war-the-militia-force-of-the/) [James Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-monroe/) > [“Oh-h-h-h— Hidey, tidey, Christ Almighty Who the hell are we? Flim, flam, God damn We’re the infantry…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/oh-h-h-h-hidey-tidey-christ-almighty-who-the-hell-are-we-flim-flam/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [My father - I once asked him what was his greatest achievement. He said his greatest achievement was that he fought in five wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/my-father-i-once-asked-him-what-was-his-greatest-achievement-he-said/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [I am in the infantry for 17 weeks and after that I don't know where I am going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-slovik/i-am-in-the-infantry-for-17-weeks-and-after-that-i-don-t-know-where-i/) [Eddie Slovik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-slovik/) > [There are now 17,000 local American police forces that are armed with rocket launchers, bazookas, heavy machine guns, all kinds of chemical sprays, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/there-are-now-17-000-local-american-police-forces-that-are-armed-with/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [Let's presume that a country or army has this weapon ; this kind of armaments cannot be used by infantry for example or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/let-s-presume-that-a-country-or-army-has-this-weapon-this-kind-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [There's a fragment that goes, "Some say the most beautiful thing in the world is a great cavalry riding down over the hill. Others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hamill/there-s-a-fragment-that-goes-some-say-the-most-beautiful-thing-in-the/) [Sam Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hamill/) > [Artillery conquers and infantry occupies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-f-c-fuller/artillery-conquers-and-infantry-occupies/) [J. F. C. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-f-c-fuller/) > [“Some lasting terms of military organization owe their origin to Spain: colonel comes from cabo de colunela, or head of a column; infantry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-boot/some-lasting-terms-of-military-organization-owe-their-origin-to-spain/) [Max Boot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-boot/) > [Infantry, Artillery, Aviation - all that we have - are yours to dispose of as you will. . . . I have come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-pershing/infantry-artillery-aviation-all-that-we-have-are-yours-to-dispose-of/) [John J. Pershing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-pershing/) [Browse all 93 Infantry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infantry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Mauldin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-to-join-the-infantry/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Infantry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-to-join-the-infantry/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/bill-mauldin-28650_infantry_the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-t_461422.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.” — Bill Mauldin", "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": "Bill Mauldin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The surest way to become a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-to-join-the-infantry/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-to-join-the-infantry/#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 } } ] } ```