--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a good thing war is so terrible or…" description: "\"It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to liking it too much.\" — Charles Frazier" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png" --- # It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to… ![“It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to liking it too much.” quote by Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png) > “It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to liking it too much.” [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War’s horror prevents people from becoming desensitized and enjoying it. **In simple terms:** War is terrible, so we don’t grow to like it. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of moral repulsion. Themes war morality human nature Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - military service - peace activism - media coverage - education Key Concepts ethics psychology of violence Questions to Reflect On - How does exposure to war affect empathy? - Can horror ever become appealing? A Different Perspective Some may become numb despite horror. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Liking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liking/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible Liking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-liking-2340374/) [Thing War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-war-272637/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-terrible-2321439/) ## Related quotes > [“What a terrible thing war is, what a terrible thing!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/what-a-terrible-thing-war-is-what-a-terrible-thing/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about. War is a terrible thing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/you-people-speak-so-lightly-of-war-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-talking/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [War is a terrible trade. But when the cause is just, the smell of gunpowder is sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-standish/war-is-a-terrible-trade-but-when-the-cause-is-just-the-smell-of/) [Myles Standish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-standish/) > [To hear of a thousand deaths in war is terrible, and we 'know' that it is. But as it registers on our hearts, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-hear-of-a-thousand-deaths-in-war-is-terrible-and-we-know-that-it/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Every country should be tired of going to war. War is a terrible thing. If I had been in Congress, as much as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/every-country-should-be-tired-of-going-to-war-war-is-a-terrible-thing/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilizationitself seeming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-lead-this-great-peaceful-people-into-war/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/it-is-well-that-war-is-so-terrible-we-should-grow-too-fond-of-it/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/it-is-well-that-war-is-so-terrible-otherwise-we-should-grow-too-fond/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [War is terrible. There is nothing romantic about war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/war-is-terrible-there-is-nothing-romantic-about-war/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [We can make war so terrible and make them so sick of war that generations pass away before they again appeal to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/we-can-make-war-so-terrible-and-make-them-so-sick-of-war-that/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [We cannot change the hearts of the people of the South, but we can make war so terrible that they will realize the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/we-cannot-change-the-hearts-of-the-people-of-the-south-but-we-can/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [Well, my theory is this: war is such a terrible, such an atrocious, thing that no man, at least no Christian man, has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/well-my-theory-is-this-war-is-such-a-terrible-such-an-atrocious-thing/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The worst thing about war was the sitting around and wondering what you were doing morally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fussell/the-worst-thing-about-war-was-the-sitting-around-and-wondering-what/) [Paul Fussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-fussell/) > [And the next thing is that every war is going to astonish you in the way it occurred, and in the way it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/and-the-next-thing-is-that-every-war-is-going-to-astonish-you-in-the/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) ## More by Charles Frazier > [ “They \[in the northern country\] had, as well, invented a holiday called Thanksgiving, which Ruby had only recently got news of, but from what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/they-in-the-northern-country-had-as-well-invented-a-holiday-called/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [He tried to name which of the deadly seven might apply, and when he failed he decided to append an eighth, regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/he-tried-to-name-which-of-the-deadly-seven-might-apply-and-when-he/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [All I can say is that we are mistaken to gouge such a deep rift in history that the things old men and old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/all-i-can-say-is-that-we-are-mistaken-to-gouge-such-a-deep-rift-in/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“Monroe had in fact preached that God was not at all such a one as ourselves, not one to be temperamentally inclined to tread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/monroe-had-in-fact-preached-that-god-was-not-at-all-such-a-one-as/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [Our worst pain is confined within our own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/our-worst-pain-is-confined-within-our-own-skin/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“Among themselves, they had figured out how to go about marriage so as to accomplish the least damage. The husbands lived two hours away...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/among-themselves-they-had-figured-out-how-to-go-about-marriage-so-as/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [The past is a stronger influence in the South. But I think everywhere you have this sense that the world changes faster than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/the-past-is-a-stronger-influence-in-the-south-but-i-think-everywhere/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [While writing 'Cold Mountain,' I held maps of two geographies, two worlds, in my mind as I wrote. One was an early map of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/while-writing-cold-mountain-i-held-maps-of-two-geographies-two-worlds/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“When Ada disappeared into the trees, it was like a part of the richness of the world had gone with her. He had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/when-ada-disappeared-into-the-trees-it-was-like-a-part-of-the/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [Verbs. All of them tiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/verbs-all-of-them-tiring/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [You never know when somebody will pull you to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/you-never-know-when-somebody-will-pull-you-to-them/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“If I had a brother in jail and one in Georgia, I'd try to bust the one out of Georgia first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/if-i-had-a-brother-in-jail-and-one-in-georgia-i-d-try-to-bust-the-one/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“His spells portrayed the spirit as a frail thing, contstantly under attack and in need of stength, always threatening to die inside you. Inman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/his-spells-portrayed-the-spirit-as-a-frail-thing-contstantly-under/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“At the first gesture of morning, flies began stirring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/at-the-first-gesture-of-morning-flies-began-stirring/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“But one day leads to another, and so on. No way around it. It's that merciless thing that time does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/but-one-day-leads-to-another-and-so-on-no-way-around-it-it-s-that/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) [Explore all 138 Charles Frazier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) ## More Good thing quotes > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [“Of the good things they do many will pass unnoticed, or will even not be considered good at all; but they need not fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/of-the-good-things-they-do-many-will-pass-unnoticed-or-will-even-not/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Here are the good things about independent films: They do the more interesting, chancy scripts. They're run by love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/here-are-the-good-things-about-independent-films-they-do-the-more/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/gratitude-transforms-the-torment-of-memory-of-good-things-now-gone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [“I took that warm feeling running through my veins as a good thing and embraced the darkness for I knew it was only temporary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cox/i-took-that-warm-feeling-running-through-my-veins-as-a-good-thing-and/) [James Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cox/) > [If good things come to those who wait then I must have something ridiculously awesome coming!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait-then-i-must-have-something/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [IVE LEARNED THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO HAVE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU , ALL THE TIME, IS TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/ive-learned-the-best-way-for-you-to-have-good-things-happen-to-you/) [LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/) > [In my rear view mirror the sun is going down sinking behind bridges in the road and I think of all the good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/in-my-rear-view-mirror-the-sun-is-going-down-sinking-behind-bridges/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [Too many good things all seem the same after a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/too-many-good-things-all-seem-the-same-after-a-while/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) [Browse all 6,343 Good thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to liking it too much.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Frazier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or-else-we-d-get-to-liking-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or-else-we-d-get-to-liking-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/charles-frazier-3165_good-thing_it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or_231286.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a good thing war is so terrible or else we'd get to liking it too much.” — Charles Frazier", "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": "Charles Frazier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a good thing war is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or-else-we-d-get-to-liking-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/it-s-a-good-thing-war-is-so-terrible-or-else-we-d-get-to-liking-it/#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 } } ] } ```