--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They are talking like fools. They are…" description: "\"“They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and two make nothing. They are saying that a man will have to die to in order to protect his lif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_they-are-talking-like-fools-they-are-say_2348995.jpg" --- # They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and… ![“They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and two make nothing. They are saying that a man will have to die to in order to protect his life. If you agree to fight you agree to die. Now if you die to protect your life you aren't alive anyhow so how is there any sense in a thing like…” quote by Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_they-are-talking-like-fools-they-are-say_2348995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_they-are-talking-like-fools-they-are-say_2348995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/dalton-trumbo-9732_choices-and-conseque_they-are-talking-like-fools-they-are-say_2348995.jpg) > ““They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and two make nothing. They are saying that a man will have to die to in order to protect his life. If you agree to fight you agree to die. Now if you die to protect your life you aren't alive anyhow so how is there any sense in a thing like that? A man doesn't say I will starve myself to death to keep from starving. He doesn't say I will spend all my money in order to save money. He doesn't say I will burn my house to down in order to keep it from burning. Why then should he be willing to die for the privilege of living?”” [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that sacrificing one’s life to protect life is contradictory; true living cannot be achieved through self‑destruction. **In simple terms:** You cannot die to protect life; it’s a paradox. Key Takeaway Question the logic of self‑sacrifice for abstract ideals. Themes war philosophy ethics existentialism self‑sacrifice Mood thoughtful serious inquisitive Type philosophical ethical reflective When to use this quote - military service - civil protest - personal sacrifice - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts paradox value of life martyrdom Questions to Reflect On - What values justify self‑sacrifice? - Can one live fully without risking death? A Different Perspective The view may ignore cases where sacrifice inspires greater good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices-and-consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-and-consequences/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Save Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-money/) ## Related quotes > [A man doesn't say I will starve myself to death to keep from starving, or that he'd spend all of his money to save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/a-man-doesn-t-say-i-will-starve-myself-to-death-to-keep-from-starving/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“My definition of ‘love’ is being willing to die for someone who you yourself want to kill. 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I was just willing to die for my dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-ruettiger/i-have-no-status-or-stardom-i-was-just-willing-to-die-for-my-dream/) [Rudy Ruettiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-ruettiger/) > [An opinion is not necesarily correct just because you're willing to die for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/an-opinion-is-not-necesarily-correct-just-because-you-re-willing-to/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“-I am willing to die for my own clan.-Fireheart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/i-am-willing-to-die-for-my-own-clan-fireheart/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [If our women are willing to die with us, who is there to say no?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morning-star/if-our-women-are-willing-to-die-with-us-who-is-there-to-say-no/) [Morning Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morning-star/) > [I'm willing to die in the ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/i-m-willing-to-die-in-the-ring/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [There's never been a lack of men willing to die bravely. The trouble is to find a few able to live sensibly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/there-s-never-been-a-lack-of-men-willing-to-die-bravely-the-trouble/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [You don't have to be a pastor to let your passion be felt and your voice heard. You just need to be willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ludy/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-pastor-to-let-your-passion-be-felt-and-your/) [Eric Ludy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ludy/) > [To hold on, you have to find something you’re willing to die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/to-hold-on-you-have-to-find-something-you-re-willing-to-die-for/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“He had been willing to die because he refused to take a life. But me, I contemplated shooting everyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tintera/he-had-been-willing-to-die-because-he-refused-to-take-a-life-but-me-i/) [Amy Tintera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tintera/) > [“I was willing to die fighting, but it was senseless for all these men to go down with me. Perhaps my blood was tainted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-was-willing-to-die-fighting-but-it-was-senseless-for-all-these-men/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“I’m willing to die for the woman I love. I just want to take 75 years to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-willing-to-die-for-the-woman-i-love-i-just-want-to-take-75-years/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Dalton Trumbo > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [I never considered the working class anything other than something to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-never-considered-the-working-class-anything-other-than-something-to/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“They died crying in their minds like little babies. They forgot the thing they were fighting for the thing they were dying for. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/they-died-crying-in-their-minds-like-little-babies-they-forgot-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Now the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things people don't understand. Take the Einstein theory. Take taxes. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/now-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-there-are-a-lot-of-things-people/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [An animal can learn to fight, but to sing beautiful things and make people believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/an-animal-can-learn-to-fight-but-to-sing-beautiful-things-and-make/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“There ought to be at least as much common sense about living and dying as there is about going to the grocery store and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/there-ought-to-be-at-least-as-much-common-sense-about-living-and/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Goodbye, my love, my life. 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And the signs they got on them: no hunting, no hiking, no admission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/have-you-ever-noticed-how-many-fences-there-re-getting-to-be-and-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [The only kind of love worth having is the kind that goes on living and laughing and fighting and loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-only-kind-of-love-worth-having-is-the-kind-that-goes-on-living/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“The worst criminals on earth are those who toy with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-worst-criminals-on-earth-are-those-who-toy-with-love/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. 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Publicly, I believe in them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/privately-i-believe-in-none-of-them-neither-do-you-publicly-i-believe/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“It will be you—-you who urge us on to battle you who incite us against ourselves you who would have one cobbler kill another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/it-will-be-you-you-who-urge-us-on-to-battle-you-who-incite-us-against/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“I am trying to penetrate the mystery of why I am as I am- what I am- I have done everything well and right-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-am-trying-to-penetrate-the-mystery-of-why-i-am-as-i-am-what-i-am-i/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/dishonesty-in-government-is-the-business-of-every-citizen-it-is-not/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) [Explore all 69 Dalton Trumbo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## More Choices-and-consequences quotes > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. 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Few words that talk much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/i-choose-to-choose-few-words-each-day-yes-few-words-that-count-few/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [“Why are we asked to make the most important decisions of our lives when we are so young, and so prone to mistakes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-park/why-are-we-asked-to-make-the-most-important-decisions-of-our-lives/) [Samuel Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-park/) > [“How could he know this new dawn's light would change his life forever? Set sail to sea, but pulled off course by the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metallica/how-could-he-know-this-new-dawn-s-light-would-change-his-life-forever/) [Metallica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metallica/) > [“Have no regrets in life because of the choices you make. Good or bad, they are a learning experience, to help you grow. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hauenstein/have-no-regrets-in-life-because-of-the-choices-you-make-good-or-bad/) [James Hauenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hauenstein/) > [“Your life is determined by the sum of the choices that YOU make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/your-life-is-determined-by-the-sum-of-the-choices-that-you-make/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Because I don’t even know if this life is right for me anymore. I don’t know what I want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-i-don-t-even-know-if-this-life-is-right-for-me-anymore-i-don/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Choices made, whether bad or good, follow you forever and affect everyone in their path one way or another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-b-spredemann/choices-made-whether-bad-or-good-follow-you-forever-and-affect/) [J.E.B. Spredemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-b-spredemann/) > [“And so everything depends on you, Bertie. Bishop or rook. Your life or mine. Do what you believe you have to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-so-everything-depends-on-you-bertie-bishop-or-rook-your-life-or/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“I've spent all the years since full of guilt and misery, even though I didn't remember it. I've let it run my thoughts, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/i-ve-spent-all-the-years-since-full-of-guilt-and-misery-even-though-i/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) [Browse all 123 Choices-and-consequences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-and-consequences/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They are talking like fools. They are saying that two and two make nothing. They are saying that a man will have to die to in order to protect his life. If you agree to fight you agree to die. Now if you die to protect your life you aren't alive anyhow so how is there any sense in a thing like that? A man doesn't say I will starve myself to death to keep from starving. He doesn't say I will spend all my money in order to save money. He doesn't say I will burn my house to down in order to keep it from burning. 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