1992 Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““In Sarajevo in 1992, while being shown around the starved, bombarded city by the incomparable John Burns, I experienced four near misses in all, three of them in the course of one day. I certainly thought that the Bosnian cause was worth fighting for and worth defending, but I could not take myself seriously enough to imagine that my own demise would have forwarded the cause. (I also discovered that a famous jaunty Churchillism had its limits: the old war-lover wrote in one of his more youthful reminiscences that there is nothing so exhilarating as being shot at without result. In my case, the experience of a whirring, whizzing horror just missing my ear was indeed briefly exciting, but on reflection made me want above all to get to the airport. Catching the plane out with a whole skin is the best part by far .) Or suppose I had been hit by that mortar that burst with an awful shriek so near to me, and turned into a Catherine wheel of body-parts and (even worse) body-ingredients? Once again, I was moved above all not by the thought that my death would 'count,' but that it would not count in the least.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The War Correspondent’s Dilemma” in The Atlantic, 1993
Witnessing danger can make one question the value of personal sacrifice versus the cause, highlighting the absurdity of seeking meaning in near‑death.
In simple terms: Danger makes us doubt the worth of dying for a cause.
Question the purpose of personal risk.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- combat reporting
- activism
- personal risk assessment
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What truly motivates you in conflict?
- Is survival more valuable than martyrdom?
Personal sacrifice may not advance the cause.