--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For war is never some cosmic accident…" description: "\"For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of asteroids falling like fire out of the heavens,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg" --- # For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a… ![“For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of asteroids falling like fire out of the heavens, but only the will and work of man.” quote by David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg) > “For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of asteroids falling like fire out of the heavens, but only the will and work of man.” [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is a deliberate human construct, not a random cosmic event. **In simple terms:** War is caused by people, not fate. Key Takeaway Recognize human agency in conflict. Themes war human agency responsibility Mood serious reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - military strategy - peace activism - education - media reporting Key Concepts determinism choice political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do societies justify war? - What choices could prevent war? A Different Perspective Human nature and also conflict despite rational efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Asteroids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asteroids/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Inevitability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitability/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Today's children are taught by our culture that we are a cosmic accident. Something slithered out of the primal slime and over billions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/today-s-children-are-taught-by-our-culture-that-we-are-a-cosmic/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [The creation of a virtual image is a form of accident. This explains why virtual reality is a cosmic accident. It's the accident of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/the-creation-of-a-virtual-image-is-a-form-of-accident-this-explains/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [“I am a cosmic accident, and soon I will be dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-am-a-cosmic-accident-and-soon-i-will-be-dead/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Consider that the overwhelming majority of those 40,000 near-Earth asteroids are small enough to fit on the parking lot at the mall. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/consider-that-the-overwhelming-majority-of-those-40-000-near-earth/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [We want to build colonies on the Moon, Mars, the Moons of other planets, and even nearby asteroids. We want to make space tourism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goldin/we-want-to-build-colonies-on-the-moon-mars-the-moons-of-other-planets/) [Daniel Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goldin/) > [Back in the day, I've heard, particularly with the near-Earth asteroids, there were some asteroid hunters that knew the names of every one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/back-in-the-day-i-ve-heard-particularly-with-the-near-earth-asteroids/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Asteroids are deep-space bodies orbiting the Sun, not the Earth, and traveling to one would mean sending humans into solar orbit for the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/asteroids-are-deep-space-bodies-orbiting-the-sun-not-the-earth-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [I only hope that we shall not wait to adopt the program until after our astronomers have reported a new and unsuspected asteroid moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/i-only-hope-that-we-shall-not-wait-to-adopt-the-program-until-after/) [Wernher von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Think about the strangeness of today's situation. Thirty, forty years ago, we were still debating about what the future will be: communist, fascist, capitalist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/think-about-the-strangeness-of-today-s-situation-thirty-forty-years/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [We've actually named asteroids for other famous women in history, like Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Sojourner Truth. But it's really this Malala one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/we-ve-actually-named-asteroids-for-other-famous-women-in-history-like/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Most of the solar system resides beyond the orbits of the asteroids. There is more to learn there about general planetary processes than on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-porco/most-of-the-solar-system-resides-beyond-the-orbits-of-the-asteroids/) [Carolyn Porco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-porco/) > [We could not wipe ourselves out with a nuclear war. I do not want so sound too positive. It would be a catastrophe, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/we-could-not-wipe-ourselves-out-with-a-nuclear-war-i-do-not-want-so/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [There is enough material in the Kuiper Belt to build anything out there. We could gobble up all the little asteroids, filtering out all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-is-enough-material-in-the-kuiper-belt-to-build-anything-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [But to carve the Grand Canyon, Earth required millions of years. To excavate Meteor Crater, the universe, using a sixty-thousand-ton asteroid traveling upward of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/but-to-carve-the-grand-canyon-earth-required-millions-of-years-to/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by David Zindell > [“The deep structure of the universe is pure consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/the-deep-structure-of-the-universe-is-pure-consciousness/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“Historically, holism had been a break from the reductionist methods of science. Holism (...) is a way of viewing the universe as a web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/historically-holism-had-been-a-break-from-the-reductionist-methods-of/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [We are the eyes through which the Univers observes itself and knows itself divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/we-are-the-eyes-through-which-the-univers-observes-itself-and-knows/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ If you kill me, you kill yourself." \[...\] He only wanted to convey to Janegg the truth of ahimsa, which is that all beings… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/if-you-kill-me-you-kill-yourself-he-only-wanted-to-convey-to-janegg/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [We walk the brink of racial suicide because we were smart enough to make atomic bombs and stupid enough to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/we-walk-the-brink-of-racial-suicide-because-we-were-smart-enough-to/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [A man lusts to become a god…and there is murder. Murder upon murder upon murder. Why is the world of men nothing but murder?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/a-man-lusts-to-become-a-god-and-there-is-murder-murder-upon-murder/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [Who would bring light must endure burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/who-would-bring-light-must-endure-burning/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“The number two, he thought, was an ominous number. Two is a reflection or duplication of one, the most perfect of the natural numbers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/the-number-two-he-thought-was-an-ominous-number-two-is-a-reflection/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ “Reality \[...\] at every level from photons to philosophical fancies to the consciousness of living organisms was fluid \[...\]. To break apart and confine… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/reality-at-every-level-from-photons-to-philosophical-fancies-to-the/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“So many synapses,' Drisana said. 'Ten trillion synapses in the cortex alone.' Danlo made a fist and asked, 'What do the synapses look like?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/so-many-synapses-drisana-said-ten-trillion-synapses-in-the-cortex/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“Science,’ he informed me, ‘might not yet have all the answers, but it is the only verifiable—and hence meaningful—way of asking the right questions.’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/science-he-informed-me-might-not-yet-have-all-the-answers-but-it-is/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [But it is the nature of life that no emotion is meant to last forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/but-it-is-the-nature-of-life-that-no-emotion-is-meant-to-last-forever/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ It's not enough to look for the truth, however a noble journey that might be. \[...\] You must be able to say "yes" to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/it-s-not-enough-to-look-for-the-truth-however-a-noble-journey-that/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [What is a human being, then?' A seed' A... seed?' An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/what-is-a-human-being-then-a-seed-a-seed-an-acorn-that-is-unafraid-to/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) [Explore all 32 David Zindell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) ## More Accidents quotes > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/no-i-think-most-astronauts-recognize-that-the-space-shuttle-program/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Good films are not made by accident, nor is good photography. You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/) [Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/) > [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/) [Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/) > [Dont stand outside in a lightning shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padraig/dont-stand-outside-in-a-lightning-shower/) [Padraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padraig/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) [Browse all 1,971 Accidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of asteroids falling like fire out of the heavens, but only the will and work of man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Zindell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-descending-upon-a-people-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accidents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-descending-upon-a-people-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-zindell-19617_accidents_for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-de_2790225.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of…” — David Zindell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Zindell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For war is never some cosmic...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-descending-upon-a-people-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-war-is-never-some-cosmic-accident-descending-upon-a-people-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```