--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... though not invariably the worst…" description: "\"... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always an obscene horror.\" — Ellen Glasgow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png" --- # ... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always… ![“... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always an obscene horror.” quote by Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png) > “... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always an obscene horror.” [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War, even when not the worst option, is inherently terrible and morally repugnant. **In simple terms:** War is always horrific. Key Takeaway Seek peaceful solutions. Themes war ethics humanity conflict morality Mood somber critical serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political debate - peace activism - military decision‑making - ethical education - historical analysis Key Concepts war obscenity human suffering Questions to Reflect On - Is any war ever justified? - What alternatives could replace war in conflict resolution? A Different Perspective War may sometimes be deemed necessary, but its horror remains undeniable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-war-1635996/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Invariably Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invariably-worst-3626226/) [Obscene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscene/) [Obscene Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscene-horror-3626225/) [Obscenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscenity/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Obscene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-obscene-3626224/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ## Related quotes > [It is a curious thing that when one speaks from the heart it is invariably in the worst of taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngaio-marsh/it-is-a-curious-thing-that-when-one-speaks-from-the-heart-it-is/) [Ngaio Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ngaio-marsh/) > [“It is the obscene horror, the dry, fucked-out aspect of things which makes this crazy civilization look like a crater. It is this great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/it-is-the-obscene-horror-the-dry-fucked-out-aspect-of-things-which/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [The most important truths always appear first as blasphemies or obscenities. That's why every great innovator is persecuted. And the sacraments look obscene, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-most-important-truths-always-appear-first-as-blasphemies-or/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [“Everybody says sex is obscene. The only true obscenity is war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/everybody-says-sex-is-obscene-the-only-true-obscenity-is-war/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Out in Hollywood, where the streets are paved with Goldwyn, the word "sophisticate" means, very simply, "obscene." A sophisticatedstory is a dirty story. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/out-in-hollywood-where-the-streets-are-paved-with-goldwyn-the-word/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Everyone likes the obscene; that is real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/everyone-likes-the-obscene-that-is-real-life/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Sex and obscenity are not synonymous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/sex-and-obscenity-are-not-synonymous/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Nothing can describe the withering horror of this. You feel lost, sick at heart before such unmasked hatred, not so much because it threatens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/nothing-can-describe-the-withering-horror-of-this-you-feel-lost-sick/) [John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/) > [Obscenity is a moral concept in the verbal arsenal of the Establishment, which abuses the term by applying it, not to expressions of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/obscenity-is-a-moral-concept-in-the-verbal-arsenal-of-the-2/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [The obscenities of this country are not girls like you. It is the poverty which is obscene, and the criminal irresponsibility of the leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/the-obscenities-of-this-country-are-not-girls-like-you-it-is-the/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“​It is Obscene to keep Printing Newspapers in the Digital Era”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/it-is-obscene-to-keep-printing-newspapers-in-the-digital-era/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [“Only in intimacy with obscenity can one know what is obscene.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-c-booth/only-in-intimacy-with-obscenity-can-one-know-what-is-obscene/) [Wayne C. Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-c-booth/) > [Sex and obscenity are not synonymous. Obscene material is material which deals with sex in a manner appealing to prurient interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sex-and-obscenity-are-not-synonymous-obscene-material-is-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whether my acting was obscene, or whether it was distasteful, well, Judge Rehnquist, who just recently passed away couldn't define pornography. His comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reems/whether-my-acting-was-obscene-or-whether-it-was-distasteful-well/) [Harry Reems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reems/) > [The problem is that censors create the concept of obscenity. By supposedly trying to protect us they form an absurd concept of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-breillat/the-problem-is-that-censors-create-the-concept-of-obscenity-by/) [Catherine Breillat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-breillat/) ## More by Ellen Glasgow > [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I have watchedmany literary fashions shoot up and blossom, and then fade and drop… Yet with the many that I have seen comeand go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-have-watchedmany-literary-fashions-shoot-up-and-blossom-and-then/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [After a day of rain the sun came out suddenly at five o'clock and threw a golden bar into the deep Victorian gloom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/after-a-day-of-rain-the-sun-came-out-suddenly-at-five-o-clock-and/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [What I hated even more than the conflict was the lurid spectacle of a world of unreason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/what-i-hated-even-more-than-the-conflict-was-the-lurid-spectacle-of-a/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Preserve, within a wild sanctuary, an inaccessible valley of reverie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/preserve-within-a-wild-sanctuary-an-inaccessible-valley-of-reverie/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [The attraction of horror is a mental, or even an intellectual, excitement, but the fascination of the repulsive, so noticeable incontemporary writing, can spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/the-attraction-of-horror-is-a-mental-or-even-an-intellectual/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I was always a feminist, for I liked intellectual revolt as much as I disliked physical violence. On the whole, I think women havelost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-was-always-a-feminist-for-i-liked-intellectual-revolt-as-much-as-i/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Although the primitive in art may be both interesting and impressive, as portrayed in American fiction it is conspicuous for dullness alone. Drab persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/although-the-primitive-in-art-may-be-both-interesting-and-impressive/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Do you know there is always a barrier between me and any man or woman who does not like dogs?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/do-you-know-there-is-always-a-barrier-between-me-and-any-man-or-woman/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [You look as if you lived on duty and it hadn't;t agreed with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/you-look-as-if-you-lived-on-duty-and-it-hadn-t-t-agreed-with-you/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [there are times when life surprises one, and anything may happen, even what one had hoped for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/there-are-times-when-life-surprises-one-and-anything-may-happen-even/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Life may take away happiness. But it can't take away having had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/life-may-take-away-happiness-but-it-can-t-take-away-having-had-it/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [So long as one is able to pose one has still much to learn about suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/so-long-as-one-is-able-to-pose-one-has-still-much-to-learn-about/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [...I had grown up in a world that was dominated by immature age. Not by vigorous immaturity, but by immaturity that was old and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-had-grown-up-in-a-world-that-was-dominated-by-immature-age-not-by/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [I hated the things they believe in, the things they so innocently and charmingly pretended. I hated the sanctimonious piety that let people hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-hated-the-things-they-believe-in-the-things-they-so-innocently-and/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) [Explore all 200 Ellen Glasgow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always an obscene horror.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ellen Glasgow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-war-is-always-an-obscene-horror/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-war-is-always-an-obscene-horror/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/ellen-glasgow-1897_choice_though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-w_2016163.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... though not invariably the worst choice, war is always an obscene horror.” — Ellen Glasgow", "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": "Ellen Glasgow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "... though not invariably the worst...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-war-is-always-an-obscene-horror/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/though-not-invariably-the-worst-choice-war-is-always-an-obscene-horror/#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 } } ] } ```