--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who says that no patriot should…" description: "\"A man who says that no patriot should attack the Boer War until it is over is not worth answering intelligently; he is saying that no good son should w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_anti-war_a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-at_1365667.png" --- # A man who says that no patriot should attack the Boer War… ![“A man who says that no patriot should attack the Boer War until it is over is not worth answering intelligently; he is saying that no good son should warn his mother off a cliff until she has fallen over it.” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_anti-war_a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-at_1365667.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_anti-war_a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-at_1365667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_anti-war_a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-at_1365667.png) > “A man who says that no patriot should attack the Boer War until it is over is not worth answering intelligently; he is saying that no good son should warn his mother off a cliff until she has fallen over it.” [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote uses a vivid analogy to argue that refusing to confront a problem until it is resolved is unreasonable and unhelpful. **In simple terms:** Don’t wait for a crisis to act; address issues promptly. Key Takeaway Act before problems worsen. Themes responsibility logic communication conflict Mood analytical serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political debate - family disputes - workplace disagreements - social activism - personal decisions Key Concepts critical thinking ethical reasoning dialogue Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to intervene early? - How can we balance caution with proactive action? A Different Perspective Some may see the analogy as overly dramatic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Attack Boer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-boer-4687642/) [Boer War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boer-war-1006574/) [Cliffs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliffs/) [Fallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen/) [Good Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-son/) [Good war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-war/) [Great war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-war/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [No war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-war/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-war/) [Saying no](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-no/) [Says Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-patriot-3199172/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son Warn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-warn-3361500/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warn Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warn-mother-3361501/) ## Related quotes > [A man who says that no patriot should attack the war until it is over... is saying no good son should warn his mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-attack-the-war-until-it-is-over/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [ “A man who says that no patriot should attack the \[war\] until it is over is not worth answering intelligently; he is saying that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/a-man-who-says-that-no-patriot-should-attack-the-war-until-it-is-over-2/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Whoop it up for liberty! After Ireland is free, says the patriot who won't touch socialism, we will protect all classes, and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-connolly/whoop-it-up-for-liberty-after-ireland-is-free-says-the-patriot-who/) [James Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-connolly/) > [The so-called Boer War advertised British vulnerabilities, and these were confirmed by the Irish rising of 1916 and the subsequent creation of the Irish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/the-so-called-boer-war-advertised-british-vulnerabilities-and-these/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [The Caucus I joined in 1953 had as many Boer War veterans as men who had seen active service in World War II, three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gough-whitlam/the-caucus-i-joined-in-1953-had-as-many-boer-war-veterans-as-men-who/) [Gough Whitlam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gough-whitlam/) > [“In the second Boer war 26,000 Boer women and children perished in British concentration camps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-the-second-boer-war-26-000-boer-women-and-children-perished-in/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The Boer War occurred 37 years ago. Boer means farmer. Many criticized a great power like Britain for trying to wipe out the Boers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hamilton-beamish/the-boer-war-occurred-37-years-ago-boer-means-farmer-many-criticized/) [Henry Hamilton Beamish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hamilton-beamish/) > [During the Second Boer War, from 1899 to 1902, Britain was rampantly jingoistic: anyone who opposed the war was cast as a traitor. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/during-the-second-boer-war-from-1899-to-1902-britain-was-rampantly/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) > [“For many years South Africa was occupied primarily by Dutch farmers known as Boers who had first arrived in the Cape of Good Hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/for-many-years-south-africa-was-occupied-primarily-by-dutch-farmers/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Suppresed I Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-suppresed-i-rise/) > [In March 1915, at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the British fired more shells in a single 35-minute bombardment than they had during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-david/in-march-1915-at-the-battle-of-neuve-chapelle-the-british-fired-more/) [Saul David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-david/) > [Before the war, and especially before the Boer War, it was summer all the year round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/before-the-war-and-especially-before-the-boer-war-it-was-summer-all/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [When I first met Mandela, we did not discuss anything of substance; we just felt each other out. He spent a long time expressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-w-de-klerk/when-i-first-met-mandela-we-did-not-discuss-anything-of-substance-we/) [F. W. de Klerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-w-de-klerk/) > [No government, no head of state, made any attempt to avert or arrest the Boer War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-albert-gobat/no-government-no-head-of-state-made-any-attempt-to-avert-or-arrest/) [Charles Albert Gobat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-albert-gobat/) > [“Because, sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/because-sometimes-you-ve-got-to-think-about-more-than-your-own-safety/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [People say the war in Iraq is a bad war, and the war in Afghanistan is a good war, but what's the difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malalai-joya/people-say-the-war-in-iraq-is-a-bad-war-and-the-war-in-afghanistan-is/) [Malalai Joya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malalai-joya/) ## More by Gilbert K. Chesterton > [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/) > [Youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/youth-is-always-too-serious-and-just-now-it-is-too-serious-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-does-not-mean-a-dead-town-it-does-not-mean-that-the-living/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-shorter-to-state-the-things-forbidden-than-the-things-permitted/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all conquerors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/faith-is-always-at-a-disadvantage-it-is-a-perpetually-defeated-thing/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-building-is-akin-to-dogma-it-is-insolent-like-dogma-whether-or-no/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-triangle-of-truisms-of-father-mother-and-child-cannot-be/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/criticism-is-only-words-about-words-and-of-what-use-are-words-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/what-we-suffer-from-today-is-humility-in-the-wrong-place-the-old/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Plato was only a Bernard Shaw who unfortunately made his jokes in Greek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/plato-was-only-a-bernard-shaw-who-unfortunately-made-his-jokes-in/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The word good has many meanings...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-word-good-has-many-meanings/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/music-with-dinner-is-an-insult-both-to-the-cook-and-the-violinist/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/eugenics-asserts-that-all-men-must-be-so-stupid-that-they-cannot/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 868 Gilbert K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## More Anti war quotes > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was involved in the anti-war movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-was-involved-in-the-anti-war-movement/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [One reason the United States finds itself at the edge of a foreign policy disaster is its underinformed citizenry, a key weakness in democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-halper/one-reason-the-united-states-finds-itself-at-the-edge-of-a-foreign/) [Stefan Halper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-halper/) > [A good soldier is a blind, heartless, soulless, murderous machine. He is not a man. His is not a brute, for brutes kill only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/a-good-soldier-is-a-blind-heartless-soulless-murderous-machine-he-is/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The way I'm going now is to focus on peace, to create peace. As Sister Corita said, "I don't go to anti-war rallies. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-hong-kingston/the-way-i-m-going-now-is-to-focus-on-peace-to-create-peace-as-sister/) [Maxine Hong Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-hong-kingston/) > [Here's the thing. Just because you're pro-troops doesn't mean you're pro-war. And just because you're anti-war doesn't mean you're anti-troops. Just because you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/here-s-the-thing-just-because-you-re-pro-troops-doesn-t-mean-you-re/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/repetition-does-not-transform-a-lie-into-a-truth/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [...Uncalled-for aggression arouses the hatred of the civilian population...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/uncalled-for-aggression-arouses-the-hatred-of-the-civilian-population/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) [Browse all 486 Anti war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man who says that no patriot should attack the Boer War until it is over is not worth answering intelligently; he is saying that no good son should warn his mother off a cliff until she has fallen over it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gilbert K. 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