--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Edward had a personal horror of violence…" description: "\"“Edward had a personal horror of violence and never endorsed or excused it, though in a documentary he made about the conflict he said that actions lik..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/christopher-hitchens-117_edward-said_edward-had-a-personal-horror-of-violence_2517333.jpg" --- # Edward had a personal horror of violence and never… ![“Edward had a personal horror of violence and never endorsed or excused it, though in a documentary he made about the conflict he said that actions like the bombing of pilgrims at Tel Aviv airport 'did more harm than good,' which I remember thinking was (a) euphemistic and (b) a slipshod expression…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/christopher-hitchens-117_edward-said_edward-had-a-personal-horror-of-violence_2517333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/christopher-hitchens-117_edward-said_edward-had-a-personal-horror-of-violence_2517333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43e/christopher-hitchens-117_edward-said_edward-had-a-personal-horror-of-violence_2517333.jpg) > ““Edward had a personal horror of violence and never endorsed or excused it, though in a documentary he made about the conflict he said that actions like the bombing of pilgrims at Tel Aviv airport 'did more harm than good,' which I remember thinking was (a) euphemistic and (b) a slipshod expression unworthy of a professor of English.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence is condemned, yet language can downplay its severity, revealing moral inconsistency. **In simple terms:** Words can mask true harm of violence. Key Takeaway Use precise language for ethical clarity. Themes morality violence language Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - political debate - academic discourse - media reporting Key Concepts ethical journalism critical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape perception of violence? - What standards ensure honest reporting? A Different Perspective Euphemisms may obscure accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombing Pilgrims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombing-pilgrims-1216098/) [Conflict Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-said-1216097/) [Documentary Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-conflict-1216094/) [Edward Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward-personal-1216096/) [Edward-said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward-said/) [Euphemism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euphemism/) [Tel-aviv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tel-aviv-184343/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violence Endorsed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-endorsed-1216095/) ## Related quotes > [“If the Palestinian people really wish to decide that they will battle to the very end to prevent partition or annexation of even an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/if-the-palestinian-people-really-wish-to-decide-that-they-will-battle/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Edward-said quotes > [“It was at a conference in Cyprus in 1976, where the theme was the rights of small nations, that I first met Edward Said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-was-at-a-conference-in-cyprus-in-1976-where-the-theme-was-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“As he defended the book one evening in the early 1980s at the Carnegie Endowment in New York, I knew that some of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/as-he-defended-the-book-one-evening-in-the-early-1980s-at-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Though he never actually joined it, he was close to some civilian elements of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/though-he-never-actually-joined-it-he-was-close-to-some-civilian/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I resolutely refuse to believe that the state of Edward's health had anything to do with this, and I don't say this only because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-resolutely-refuse-to-believe-that-the-state-of-edward-s-health-had/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I certainly didn't concur with Edward on everything, but I was damned if I would hear him abused without saying a word. 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