--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know war as few other men now living…" description: "\"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destruct..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/douglas-macarthur-2344_abolition_i-know-war-as-few-other-men-now-living-k_1811390.png" --- # I know war as few other men now living know it, and… ![“I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes... But once war is forced upon us, there is no…” quote by Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/douglas-macarthur-2344_abolition_i-know-war-as-few-other-men-now-living-k_1811390.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/douglas-macarthur-2344_abolition_i-know-war-as-few-other-men-now-living-k_1811390.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/douglas-macarthur-2344_abolition_i-know-war-as-few-other-men-now-living-k_1811390.png) > “I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes... But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end.” [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) ## 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 abhorrent yet sometimes unavoidable; when forced, one must seek its swift conclusion using all means. **In simple terms:** War is terrible but may be necessary; end it quickly. Key Takeaway Use all tools to end war rapidly. Themes war ethics strategy Mood somber reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - military planning - diplomacy - humanitarian intervention Key Concepts Just war theory military ethics conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever moral to fight war? - How can swift victory be balanced with ethical conduct? A Different Perspective War may cause long-term trauma and moral compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abolition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/) [Foe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foe/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. 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Since 1945 not a single day has gone by without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-r-wittkopf/daily-the-media-report-human-activity-in-which-force-is-used-to/) Eugene R. Wittkopf > [We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph, and from both we have learned there can be no turning back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/we-have-known-the-bitterness-of-defeat-and-the-exultation-of-triumph-2/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I have known war as few men now living know it. It's very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-have-known-war-as-few-men-now-living-know-it-it-s-very/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Love the one you're with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-stills/love-the-one-you-re-with/) [Stephen Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-stills/) > [About half of the loyalists who left the United States ended up going north to Canada, settling in the province of Nova Scotia and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-martin/about-half-of-the-loyalists-who-left-the-united-states-ended-up-going/) [Rachel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-martin/) > [Auroville (City of Dawn) is an 'experimental' township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India near Puducherry in South India. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirra-alfassa/auroville-city-of-dawn-is-an-experimental-township-in-viluppuram/) [Mirra Alfassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirra-alfassa/) > [Living with integrity means... behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-de-angelis/living-with-integrity-means-behaving-in-ways-that-are-in-harmony-with/) [Barbara De Angelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-de-angelis/) > [I have so many girlfriends in their twenties who live in a white box apartment, having mediocre meals with mediocre friends, waiting for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/i-have-so-many-girlfriends-in-their-twenties-who-live-in-a-white-box/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [Never settle for anything less than your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/never-settle-for-anything-less-than-your-best/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [A partial Jewish State is not the end, but only the beginning. ... 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By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/people-of-the-philippines-i-have-returned-by-the-grace-of-almighty/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-country-is-now-geared-to-an-arms-economy-bred-in-an-artificially/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/if-i-had-one-more-division-like-this-first-marine-division-i-could/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/however-horrible-the-incidents-of-war-may-be-the-soldier-who-is/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [While Asia is commonly referred to as the Gateway to Europe, it is no less true that Europe is the Gateway to Asia, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/while-asia-is-commonly-referred-to-as-the-gateway-to-europe-it-is-no/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-believe-that-the-entire-effort-of-modern-society-should-be/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. 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No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? 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Let us firmly join hands and foster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iccho-itoh/we-invite-people-working-for-peace-to-span-generations-and-national/) [Iccho Itoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iccho-itoh/) > [Insofar as we may at all claim that slavery has been abolished today, we owe its abolition to the practical consequences of science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/insofar-as-we-may-at-all-claim-that-slavery-has-been-abolished-today/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos\[i\]tion to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing-my-views-and-feeling-to-be-in/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. 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