--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Savage, despicable evil. That's what we…" description: "\"Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' There really wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/chris-kyle-8574_despicable_savage-despicable-evil-that-s-what-we-we_854508.jpg" --- # Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in… ![“Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there.” quote by Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/chris-kyle-8574_despicable_savage-despicable-evil-that-s-what-we-we_854508.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/chris-kyle-8574_despicable_savage-despicable-evil-that-s-what-we-we_854508.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/chris-kyle-8574_despicable_savage-despicable-evil-that-s-what-we-we_854508.jpg) > “Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there.” [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes the enemy in Iraq as fundamentally savage, emphasizing the moral clarity he felt in combat against such evil. **In simple terms:** The enemy was seen as pure evil. Key Takeaway Recognize the danger of dehumanizing opponents. Themes war morality dehumanization Mood grim reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - combat experience - military training - public discourse - policy debates Key Concepts psychology of conflict enemy perception Questions to Reflect On - How does dehumanizing the enemy affect soldiers? - Can we ever truly understand an opponent’s humanity? A Different Perspective Such labeling can oversimplify complex conflicts and hinder peace efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-enemy-285970/) [Despicable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despicable/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Savages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-savages-784223/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Fighting Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-iraq-784225/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savage/) [Savages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savages/) [Savages Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savages-really-784224/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/savage-despicable-evil-that-s-what-we-were-fighting-in-iraq/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [Our men and women fighting in Iraq are held accountable for their performance and their conduct. On duty and off, twenty-four hours a day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/our-men-and-women-fighting-in-iraq-are-held-accountable-for-their/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [I learned a thing or two about urban warfare from my time fighting in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/i-learned-a-thing-or-two-about-urban-warfare-from-my-time-fighting-in/) [Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/) > [“I wish you'd get one thing straight - I'm not a traitor. I was never on your side. I'm called the enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/i-wish-you-d-get-one-thing-straight-i-m-not-a-traitor-i-was-never-on/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [I don't want my kids to grow up in a country where the press is called the enemy of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-acosta/i-don-t-want-my-kids-to-grow-up-in-a-country-where-the-press-is/) [Jim Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-acosta/) > [More powerful if the enemy before you make yourself so strong that it can fight. then Called the enemy. If you are not able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/more-powerful-if-the-enemy-before-you-make-yourself-so-strong-that-it/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Everything is interconnected. My interest is linked to everyone else's. Our survival and future are linked. Therefore the destruction of your so-called enemy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/everything-is-interconnected-my-interest-is-linked-to-everyone-else-s/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you harm. You have no enemy except yourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/no-one-is-to-be-called-an-enemy-all-are-your-benefactors-and-no-one/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [ The American experiment, the United States in the past eight years \[2008-2016\] was not considered worthy of leading, because we had committed too many… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-experiment-the-united-states-in-the-past-eight-years/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-can-play-a-man-who-s-despicable-but-i-ll-still-look-inside-him-to/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [Lies hold civilization together. If people ever seriously begin telling each other what they really think, there'd be no peace. Good-bye to tact. Good-bye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/lies-hold-civilization-together-if-people-ever-seriously-begin/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I'm not saying that all women are blameless - all women are not. There are women with despicable characters who are cruel and terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-m-not-saying-that-all-women-are-blameless-all-women-are-not-there/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I admire certain priests and nuns who go off on their own and do God's work on their own, who help in the ghettos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-admire-certain-priests-and-nuns-who-go-off-on-their-own-and-do-god/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [I would of course like to think I've never done a truly despicable thing, but then again you don't always know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-andrews/i-would-of-course-like-to-think-i-ve-never-done-a-truly-despicable/) [Finn Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-andrews/) ## More by Chris Kyle > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [But even before I was in the military, I was extremely jumpy when asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/but-even-before-i-was-in-the-military-i-was-extremely-jumpy-when/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [I'm trying to raise the awareness of the troops that, when they deploy and go to war, it's not just them at war -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-m-trying-to-raise-the-awareness-of-the-troops-that-when-they-deploy/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [I am not a fan of politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-am-not-a-fan-of-politics/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [After I was discharged from the military, it was difficult trying to become a civilian,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/after-i-was-discharged-from-the-military-it-was-difficult-trying-to/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [When you’re working with Army and Marine Corps units, you immediately notice a difference. The Army is pretty tough, but their performance can depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/when-you-re-working-with-army-and-marine-corps-units-you-immediately/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [MY REGRETS ARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE I COULDN’T SAVE—Marines, soldiers, my buddies. I still feel their loss. I still ache for my failure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/my-regrets-are-about-the-people-i-couldn-t-save-marines-soldiers-my/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [Maybe war isn’t really fun, but I certainly was enjoying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/maybe-war-isn-t-really-fun-but-i-certainly-was-enjoying-it/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [I am a much better father and husband than I ever was a sniper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-am-a-much-better-father-and-husband-than-i-ever-was-a-sniper/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [If you see anyone from about sixteen to sixty-five and they’re male, shoot ’em. Kill every male you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/if-you-see-anyone-from-about-sixteen-to-sixty-five-and-they-re-male/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“I certainly found most of the Marines and soldiers I worked with to be top-notch. You had your exceptions—but then you have your exceptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-certainly-found-most-of-the-marines-and-soldiers-i-worked-with-to/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“We killed the bad guys and brought the leaders to the peace table. That is how the world works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/we-killed-the-bad-guys-and-brought-the-leaders-to-the-peace-table/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [Im not a redneck, Im from Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/im-not-a-redneck-im-from-texas/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [If you hate the war, that’s fine. But you should still support the troops. They don’t get to pick where they’re deployed. They just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/if-you-hate-the-war-that-s-fine-but-you-should-still-support-the/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [People tell me I saved hundreds and hundreds of people. But I have to tell you: it’s not the people you saved that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/people-tell-me-i-saved-hundreds-and-hundreds-of-people-but-i-have-to/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) [Explore all 79 Chris Kyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) ## More Despicable quotes > [I would of course like to think I've never done a truly despicable thing, but then again you don't always know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-andrews/i-would-of-course-like-to-think-i-ve-never-done-a-truly-despicable/) [Finn Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-andrews/) > [I admire certain priests and nuns who go off on their own and do God's work on their own, who help in the ghettos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-admire-certain-priests-and-nuns-who-go-off-on-their-own-and-do-god/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I'm not saying that all women are blameless - all women are not. There are women with despicable characters who are cruel and terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-m-not-saying-that-all-women-are-blameless-all-women-are-not-there/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Lies hold civilization together. If people ever seriously begin telling each other what they really think, there'd be no peace. Good-bye to tact. Good-bye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/lies-hold-civilization-together-if-people-ever-seriously-begin/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-can-play-a-man-who-s-despicable-but-i-ll-still-look-inside-him-to/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [ The American experiment, the United States in the past eight years \[2008-2016\] was not considered worthy of leading, because we had committed too many… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-experiment-the-united-states-in-the-past-eight-years/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Reaching into one's own pocket to assist his fellow man is noble and worthy of praise. Reaching into another person's pocket to assist one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/reaching-into-one-s-own-pocket-to-assist-his-fellow-man-is-noble-and/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [What Clinton did with Lewinsky was despicable but was no threat to the nation. That he lied about it repeatedly and to the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donella-meadows/what-clinton-did-with-lewinsky-was-despicable-but-was-no-threat-to/) [Donella Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donella-meadows/) > [Despair makes a despicable figure, and descends from a mean original. 'Tis the offspring of fear, of laziness and impatience; it argues a defect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-collier/despair-makes-a-despicable-figure-and-descends-from-a-mean-original/) [Jeremy Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-collier/) > [I guess there's nothing I don't like about Merlin, in this presentation. I love everything, even the things I find despicable and abhorrent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-guess-there-s-nothing-i-don-t-like-about-merlin-in-this/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Nothing is more despicable than a professional talker who uses his words as a quack uses his remedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/nothing-is-more-despicable-than-a-professional-talker-who-uses-his/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [The nature of men and women - their essential nature - is so vile and despicable that if you were to portray a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-nature-of-men-and-women-their-essential-nature-is-so-vile-and/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists. And the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/let-me-just-be-candid-my-party-is-full-of-racists-and-the-real-reason/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [People sometimes rationalize their greed by saying that it is all for the good of their children but this is nothing but an excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/people-sometimes-rationalize-their-greed-by-saying-that-it-is-all-for/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) [Browse all 172 Despicable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despicable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' 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