--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had the mistaken idea, based on what…" description: "\"“I had the mistaken idea, based on what happened in World War I, that we would stay out of the war, and it is very unfortunate that I felt like that. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/gregory-benford-6934_war_i-had-the-mistaken-idea-based-on-what-ha_1856756.jpg" --- # I had the mistaken idea, based on what happened in World… ![“I had the mistaken idea, based on what happened in World War I, that we would stay out of the war, and it is very unfortunate that I felt like that. If I had been more convinced, as Wigner and Szilard were, that we were going to get into the war, I would have pushed harder to begin making the…” quote by Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/gregory-benford-6934_war_i-had-the-mistaken-idea-based-on-what-ha_1856756.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/gregory-benford-6934_war_i-had-the-mistaken-idea-based-on-what-ha_1856756.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/gregory-benford-6934_war_i-had-the-mistaken-idea-based-on-what-ha_1856756.jpg) > ““I had the mistaken idea, based on what happened in World War I, that we would stay out of the war, and it is very unfortunate that I felt like that. If I had been more convinced, as Wigner and Szilard were, that we were going to get into the war, I would have pushed harder to begin making the bomb. I figured out that roughly half a million to a million people were being killed a month in the later stages of the war. Every month by which we could have shortened the war would have made a difference of a half million to a million lives, including the life of my own brother.”” [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He regretted not advocating for earlier development of the atomic bomb, believing it could have saved millions, including his brother, highlighting moral dilemmas in wartime decisions. **In simple terms:** He wished he’d pushed for the bomb sooner to save lives. Key Takeaway Consider moral urgency in crisis decisions. Themes war ethics science responsibility family Mood somber thoughtful Type historical ethical When to use this quote - policy advising - scientific advocacy - military strategy - family loss Key Concepts deterrence theory moral calculus historical hindsight Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do scientists have in wartime? - How do personal losses influence policy views? A Different Perspective Accelerating weapon development raises ethical and geopolitical risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [While the death of young men in war is unfortunate, it is no more serious than the touching of mountains and wilderness areas by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/while-the-death-of-young-men-in-war-is-unfortunate-it-is-no-more/) [David R. 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Turner [Browse all 38,922 War quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had the mistaken idea, based on what happened in World War I, that we would stay out of the war, and it is very unfortunate that I felt like that. If I had been more convinced, as Wigner and Szilard were, that we were going to get into the war, I would have pushed harder to begin making the bomb. I figured out that roughly half a million to a million people were being killed a month in the later stages of the war. 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