---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It [Obama's Nobel peace prize] would be…"
description: "\"It [Obama's Nobel peace prize] would be like giving someone an Oscar in the hope that it would encourage them to make a decent motion picture.\" — Chris..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/christopher-hitchens-117_decent_it-obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-would-be-li_1565798.jpg"
---

#  It \[Obama's Nobel peace prize\] would be like giving…

![“It &#91;Obama's Nobel peace prize&#93; would be like giving someone an Oscar in the hope that it would encourage them to make a decent motion picture.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/christopher-hitchens-117_decent_it-obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-would-be-li_1565798.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/christopher-hitchens-117_decent_it-obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-would-be-li_1565798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/christopher-hitchens-117_decent_it-obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-would-be-li_1565798.jpg)

> “It \[Obama's Nobel peace prize\] would be like giving someone an Oscar in the hope that it would encourage them to make a decent motion picture.”

[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.

Comparing a Nobel peace prize to an Oscar suggests the award is symbolic rather than a guarantee of future good deeds.

**In simple terms:** Award is symbolic, not a guarantee of action.

Key Takeaway

Don’t overvalue symbolic honors.

Themes

politics recognition skepticism

Mood

skeptical critical

Type

analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- political discourse
- award ceremonies
- media analysis

Key Concepts

symbolism incentives public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- Do honors truly motivate change?
- Can symbolism replace action?

A Different Perspective

Awards may not change behavior.

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[Decent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Oscar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-oscar-3317041/) [Motion picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motion-picture/) [Motion pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motion-pictures/) [Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel/) [Nobel Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel-peace/) [Nobel peace prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel-peace-prize/) [Obama Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-nobel-2787271/) [Oscars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscars/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-prize/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

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