--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To try to stop war by placing before…" description: "\"To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the terrible suffering involved will never succeed, because men are willing (in their thoughts and imag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/dorothy-day-1629_aim_to-try-to-stop-war-by-placing-before-men_1686614.jpg" --- # To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the… ![“To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the terrible suffering involved will never succeed, because men are willing (in their thoughts and imaginations at least) to face any kind of suffering when motivated by noble aims like the vague and tremendous concept of freedom ... Or, in their…” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/dorothy-day-1629_aim_to-try-to-stop-war-by-placing-before-men_1686614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/dorothy-day-1629_aim_to-try-to-stop-war-by-placing-before-men_1686614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/dorothy-day-1629_aim_to-try-to-stop-war-by-placing-before-men_1686614.jpg) > “To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the terrible suffering involved will never succeed, because men are willing (in their thoughts and imaginations at least) to face any kind of suffering when motivated by noble aims like the vague and tremendous concept of freedom ... Or, in their humility (or sloth - who knows?) men are quite willing to leave decisions to others 'who know more about it than we do.” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exposing suffering alone cannot stop war; people are motivated by ideals and often defer decisions to perceived experts. **In simple terms:** Seeing suffering isn’t enough to end war. Key Takeaway Address underlying motivations and empower informed decision‑making. Themes war morality freedom authority Mood critical philosophical Type analytical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - peace activism - education reform - media campaigns - policy advocacy Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance noble aims with realistic strategies? - Who should decide when expertise is limited? A Different Perspective Idealism can blind people to practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-humility-1012818/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Know me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-me/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-willing-274571/) [Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Sloth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sloth/) [Stop war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-war/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Succeed Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed-men-1012817/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-motivated-1012816/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Vague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vague/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) ## Related quotes > [Obedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/obedience-is-the-road-to-freedom-humility-the-road-to-pleasure-unity/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A man is not merely a man but a man among men, in a world of men. Being good at being a man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/a-man-is-not-merely-a-man-but-a-man-among-men-in-a-world-of-men-being/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [“One night he went out to survey the city. He couldn’t ride around; even now you cannot ride a beast around the walls of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-moody/one-night-he-went-out-to-survey-the-city-he-couldn-t-ride-around-even/) [D.L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/) > [To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men. To accomplish this less pure paths must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/to-conceive-the-good-in-fact-is-not-sufficient-it-must-be-made-to/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“Therefore, we call on women to arise and stand firm, the era of relegating us to the background where we remain unnoticed and unimportant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/therefore-we-call-on-women-to-arise-and-stand-firm-the-era-of/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [Don't go to men who are willing to kill themselves driving in circles looking for normality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunt/don-t-go-to-men-who-are-willing-to-kill-themselves-driving-in-circles/) [James Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunt/) > [Even when a man and a woman perform equally well in a task - say, solving math problems - men are more willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/even-when-a-man-and-a-woman-perform-equally-well-in-a-task-say/) [Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/) > [“Karla wasn’t the religious type, but with certain men she was willing to get down on her knees and pray.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-lawless/karla-wasn-t-the-religious-type-but-with-certain-men-she-was-willing/) [M.J. Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-lawless/) > [Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/men-are-so-willing-to-respect-anything-that-bores-them/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were-2/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [“The difficulty is not in finding men to advance but men willing to be advanced.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-difficulty-is-not-in-finding-men-to-advance-but-men-willing-to-be/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [...the incontestable truth is that America has been built up by optimists, not by pessimists, but by men possessing courage, confidence in the nation's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/the-incontestable-truth-is-that-america-has-been-built-up-by/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [“There's always a price to pay for success, and it's the men who are willing to pay that price that determines the greats of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-wilson/there-s-always-a-price-to-pay-for-success-and-it-s-the-men-who-are/) [Mitch Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-wilson/) > [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/) > [“Well, you’d better hope I am because the world was built by sociopaths, men willing to send a million innocent boys into battle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/well-you-d-better-hope-i-am-because-the-world-was-built-by-sociopaths/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the terrible suffering involved will never succeed, because men are willing (in their thoughts and imaginations at least) to face any kind of suffering when motivated by noble aims like the vague and tremendous concept of freedom ... 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