--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is not one incident in the history…" description: "\"There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything other than a complete fraud.\" — Douglas MacArthur" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png" --- # There is not one incident in the history of humanity in… ![“There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything other than a complete fraud.” quote by Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png) > “There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything other than a complete fraud.” [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. Defeatism never yields genuine peace; it merely masks falsehoods with a veneer of tranquility. **In simple terms:** Defeatism doesn't bring real peace. Key Takeaway Beware false peace from defeatism. Themes politics peace truth Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - war negotiations - political discourse - conflict resolution - leadership decisions Key Concepts defeatism fraud authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Is peace achieved by surrender truly lasting? - How can societies avoid the trap of defeatist peace? A Different Perspective Peace achieved through defeatism may be unsustainable and deceptive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeatism/) [Defeatism Led](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeatism-led-3604632/) [Fraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraud/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-humanity-361672/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Defeatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-defeatism-3604631/) [Incidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incidents/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace Complete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-complete-3604633/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) ## Related quotes > [To me there is something completely and satisfyingly restful in that stretch of sea and sand, sea and sand and sky - complete peace,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/to-me-there-is-something-completely-and-satisfyingly-restful-in-that/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [“Submitting to history allows us to remember our society’s past. Although writing and art express history, it's our humanity which keeps all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-p-kollenborn/submitting-to-history-allows-us-to-remember-our-society-s-past/) [K.P. Kollenborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-p-kollenborn/) > [I'm a human who is aware of the history of humanity and the ways in which the movies touch on those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/i-m-a-human-who-is-aware-of-the-history-of-humanity-and-the-ways-in/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [Between Trump's election and Brexit, there were all sorts of opinions coming out of the woodwork that I thought had died out a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-hope-ashitey/between-trump-s-election-and-brexit-there-were-all-sorts-of-opinions/) [Clare-Hope Ashitey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-hope-ashitey/) > [“But there are times in the history of humanity when cleverness might as well be simplicity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-there-are-times-in-the-history-of-humanity-when-cleverness-might/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indeed, my conclusion from a lifetime of psychohistorical study of childhood and society is that the history of humanity is founded upon the abuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-demause/indeed-my-conclusion-from-a-lifetime-of-psychohistorical-study-of/) [Lloyd deMause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-demause/) > [The history of humanity is not the history of its wars, but the history of its households.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-history-of-humanity-is-not-the-history-of-its-wars-but-the/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [In the history of humanity there are no civilizations or cultures which fail to manifest, in one or a thousand ways, this need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/in-the-history-of-humanity-there-are-no-civilizations-or-cultures/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [I had this feeling that, somehow, we ought to be teaching not just the history of particular nations or particular regions, but the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/i-had-this-feeling-that-somehow-we-ought-to-be-teaching-not-just-the/) [David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/) > [The history of humanity has, to a large extent, been one of groping blindly in the dark, fearing for the future and yet resisting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-history-of-humanity-has-to-a-large-extent-been-one-of-groping/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“We will never know all there is to know about Nazism, World War II, and the Holocaust. No single story can relate it all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-lower/we-will-never-know-all-there-is-to-know-about-nazism-world-war-ii-and/) [Wendy Lower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-lower/) > [Be not afraid , for all great power throughout the history of humanity has been with the people. From out of their ranks have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/be-not-afraid-for-all-great-power-throughout-the-history-of-humanity/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The history of humanity is, to a very great extent, a history of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livingstone-smith/the-history-of-humanity-is-to-a-very-great-extent-a-history-of/) [David Livingstone Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livingstone-smith/) > [From arts, to literature, to science, to the founding of Christian institutions, all of that has its roots in a biblical worldview, but when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-hanegraaff/from-arts-to-literature-to-science-to-the-founding-of-christian/) [Hank Hanegraaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-hanegraaff/) > [The notion that you do not negotiate with terrorists is not the history of humanity or of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/the-notion-that-you-do-not-negotiate-with-terrorists-is-not-the/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) ## More by 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/) > [People of the Philippines: I have returned. 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. It is a form of mutual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-as-it-is-waged-now-with-the-enormous-losses-on-both-sides-both/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-am-concerned-for-the-security-of-our-great-nation-not-so-much/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I've looked that old scoundrel death in the eye many times but this time I think he has me on the ropes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-ve-looked-that-old-scoundrel-death-in-the-eye-many-times-but-this/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/age-wrinkles-the-body-quitting-wrinkles-the-soul/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [For those to whom much is given, much is required. It is not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/for-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-required-it-is-not-whether/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, you win or lose, live or die - and the difference is just an eyelash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-you-win-or-lose-live-or-die-and-the-difference-is-just-an/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Beware not the enemy from 'without' but the enemy from 'within'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/beware-not-the-enemy-from-without-but-the-enemy-from-within/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) [Explore all 171 Douglas MacArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) ## More Defeatism quotes > [“We began our life together at a moment of natural self-pity and defeat that left an inimitable impression on both of us. The rejection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/we-began-our-life-together-at-a-moment-of-natural-self-pity-and/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [You defeat defeatism with confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/you-defeat-defeatism-with-confidence/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [“A battle is won by the side that is absolutely determined to win. Why did we lose the battle of Austerlitz? Our casualties were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/a-battle-is-won-by-the-side-that-is-absolutely-determined-to-win-why/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“In 1965, a psychologist named Martin Seligman started shocking dogs. He was trying to expand on the research of Pavlov--the guy who could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-1965-a-psychologist-named-martin-seligman-started-shocking-dogs-he/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“If I felt less, I could do more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/if-i-felt-less-i-could-do-more/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism, which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, sourpusses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/one-of-the-more-serious-temptations-which-stifles-boldness-and-zeal/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I've learned that next to the atomic bomb, the greatest danger is defeatism, despair, and inadequate awareness of what human beings possess. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/i-ve-learned-that-next-to-the-atomic-bomb-the-greatest-danger-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [“Defeat is a result of people not being bold enough to grab their win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anas-hamshari/defeat-is-a-result-of-people-not-being-bold-enough-to-grab-their-win/) [Anas Hamshari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anas-hamshari/) > [Defeatism about the past is a grievous error; defeatism about the future is a crime!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-noel-baker-baron-noel-baker/defeatism-about-the-past-is-a-grievous-error-defeatism-about-the/) [Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-noel-baker-baron-noel-baker/) > [What I don't like is a conformist attitude, a certain defeatism; that can't be allowed at Barcelona.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-laporta/what-i-don-t-like-is-a-conformist-attitude-a-certain-defeatism-that/) [Joan Laporta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-laporta/) > [While a lot of people want to join the left to react against the mainstream or right, I in many ways react against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/while-a-lot-of-people-want-to-join-the-left-to-react-against-the/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“We are swimming upstream against a great torrent of disorganization...In this, our main obligation is to establish arbitrary enclaves of order and system...It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-wiener/we-are-swimming-upstream-against-a-great-torrent-of-disorganization/) [Norbert Wiener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-wiener/) > [“Seeing the mud around a lotus is pessimism, seeing a lotus in the mud is optimism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/seeing-the-mud-around-a-lotus-is-pessimism-seeing-a-lotus-in-the-mud/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [In the closed circle of the war cabinet, pounded by terrible report after terrible report, there had been uncertainty about whether he could fend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-closed-circle-of-the-war-cabinet-pounded-by-terrible-report/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We have seen too much defeatism, too much pessimism, too much of a negative approach. The answer is simple: if you want something very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-jones/we-have-seen-too-much-defeatism-too-much-pessimism-too-much-of-a/) [Margo Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-jones/) [Browse all 29 Defeatism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeatism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything other than a complete fraud.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas MacArthur" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history-of-humanity-in-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defeatism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history-of-humanity-in-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/douglas-macarthur-2344_defeatism_there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history_2013001.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything…” — Douglas MacArthur", "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": "Douglas MacArthur", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is not one incident in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history-of-humanity-in-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/there-is-not-one-incident-in-the-history-of-humanity-in-which/#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 } } ] } ```