--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because war is a competition involving…" description: "\"Because war is a competition involving life and death, and in which national security and vital interests are at stake, establishing an objective other..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/h-r-mcmaster-16254_competition_because-war-is-a-competition-involving-l_1378297.png" --- # Because war is a competition involving life and death, and… ![“Because war is a competition involving life and death, and in which national security and vital interests are at stake, establishing an objective other than winning is not only counterproductive, but also irresponsible and wasteful. In some circumstances, it is also unethical.” quote by H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/h-r-mcmaster-16254_competition_because-war-is-a-competition-involving-l_1378297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/h-r-mcmaster-16254_competition_because-war-is-a-competition-involving-l_1378297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/h-r-mcmaster-16254_competition_because-war-is-a-competition-involving-l_1378297.png) > “Because war is a competition involving life and death, and in which national security and vital interests are at stake, establishing an objective other than winning is not only counterproductive, but also irresponsible and wasteful. In some circumstances, it is also unethical.” [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) ## 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 a zero‑sum struggle where the only sensible objective is victory; other goals dilute focus and waste resources, sometimes crossing ethical lines. **In simple terms:** Winning is the only logical aim in war. Key Takeaway Prioritize decisive victory. Themes war ethics strategy national security Mood serious reflective Type strategic political When to use this quote - military planning - policy debates - international negotiations Key Concepts zero‑sum conflict resource allocation ethical limits Questions to Reflect On - Is any non‑victory goal ever justified? - How do ethical concerns shape war aims? A Different Perspective Other objectives can undermine morale and efficiency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circumstances Unethical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances-unethical-4768057/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Objective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objective/) [Objective Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objective-winning-2629160/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Unethical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unethical/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-competition-4768058/) ## Related quotes > [First objective is always that of winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-pirlo/first-objective-is-always-that-of-winning/) [Andrea Pirlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-pirlo/) > [Growing up, I had this objective of winning titles, but more importantly of succeeding in mainland France.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendie-renard/growing-up-i-had-this-objective-of-winning-titles-but-more/) [Wendie Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendie-renard/) > [“I ended your experiment. Because you're not a scientist. You're a monster. I'm not leaving any of them at your mercy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-ended-your-experiment-because-you-re-not-a-scientist-you-re-a/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“I will say that again in a different way: the persistent unethical and ignorant emphasis on secrecy and on making decisions for partisan advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-david-steele/i-will-say-that-again-in-a-different-way-the-persistent-unethical-and/) [Robert David Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-david-steele/) > [When the sun is sending more energy to earth in one hour than the entire world consumes in a year, any political play to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-haaland/when-the-sun-is-sending-more-energy-to-earth-in-one-hour-than-the/) [Deb Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-haaland/) > [One of the things that science fiction gets to do is thought experiments about the human condition that would be impractical or unethical to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/one-of-the-things-that-science-fiction-gets-to-do-is-thought/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/what-is-the-difference-between-unethical-and-ethical-advertising/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [ “From 1992 to 1997, TAT \[Treating Abuse Today\] under my editorship published several articles by a number of respected professionals who seriously questioned the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-calof/from-1992-to-1997-tat-treating-abuse-today-under-my-editorship/) [David L. Calof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-calof/) > [I think canceling a game that is making a profit, along with destroying jobs and an online community, is entirely unethical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/i-think-canceling-a-game-that-is-making-a-profit-along-with/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) > [We all have done something unethical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/we-all-have-done-something-unethical/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I have to say that one of the most important things Scientology has given me is the ability to keep my integrity together. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-masterson/i-have-to-say-that-one-of-the-most-important-things-scientology-has/) [Danny Masterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-masterson/) > [I'm very, very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing, any hint of any kind of unethical activity there. Very pleased to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-m-very-very-pleased-to-be-cleared-of-any-legal-wrongdoing-any-hint/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Further, in writing, I feel corrupt and unethical if I have to look up a subject in a library as part of the writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/further-in-writing-i-feel-corrupt-and-unethical-if-i-have-to-look-up/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Food is being purposefully formulated to addict you.Then it is purposefully marketed, targeted to young children to addict them at an early age. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/food-is-being-purposefully-formulated-to-addict-you-then-it-is/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) ## More by H. R. McMaster > [Much of the conventional wisdom associated with Vietnam was highly inaccurate. Far from an inevitable result of the imperative to contain communism, the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/much-of-the-conventional-wisdom-associated-with-vietnam-was-highly/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [We confuse activity with progress, and that's always dangerous, especially in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/we-confuse-activity-with-progress-and-that-s-always-dangerous/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [What is certain about the future is that even the best efforts to predict the conditions of future war will prove erroneous. What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/what-is-certain-about-the-future-is-that-even-the-best-efforts-to/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [We often operate effectively on the physical battleground but not on the psychological battleground. We fail to communicate our resolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/we-often-operate-effectively-on-the-physical-battleground-but-not-on/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Consequences of linear thinking in Afghanistan and Iraq included overestimating indigenous forces' capabilities, underestimating the enemy, and the associated expectation that the coalition could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/consequences-of-linear-thinking-in-afghanistan-and-iraq-included/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [The war in Vietnam was not lost in the field, nor was it lost on the front pages of the New York Times or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/the-war-in-vietnam-was-not-lost-in-the-field-nor-was-it-lost-on-the/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Bombing, particularly from the perspective of the receiving end, is not 'communication.' Bombs result in death and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/bombing-particularly-from-the-perspective-of-the-receiving-end-is-not/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [When we came to Iraq, we didn't understand the complexity - what it meant for a society to live under a brutal dictatorship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/when-we-came-to-iraq-we-didn-t-understand-the-complexity-what-it/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [I think any of us who have been involved in the mission of Iraq have developed a great deal of affection for the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/i-think-any-of-us-who-have-been-involved-in-the-mission-of-iraq-have/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Muslims who commit terrorist acts are perverting their religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/muslims-who-commit-terrorist-acts-are-perverting-their-religion/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [What we can afford least is to define the problem of future war as we would like it to be and, by doing so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/what-we-can-afford-least-is-to-define-the-problem-of-future-war-as-we/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Offensive operations and hunting down the enemy is an integral part of any counterinsurgency approach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/offensive-operations-and-hunting-down-the-enemy-is-an-integral-part/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Be skeptical of concepts that divorce war from its political nature, particularly those that promise fast, cheap victory through technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/be-skeptical-of-concepts-that-divorce-war-from-its-political-nature/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [Although combat operations unseated the Taliban and the Saddam Hussein regime, a poor understanding of the recent histories of the Afghan and Iraqi peoples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/although-combat-operations-unseated-the-taliban-and-the-saddam/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [It is important to understand how leaders have adapted and thought about war and warfare across their careers. 'The Autobiography of General Ulysses S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/it-is-important-to-understand-how-leaders-have-adapted-and-thought/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) [Explore all 40 H. R. McMaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because war is a competition involving life and death, and in which national security and vital interests are at stake, establishing an objective other than winning is not only counterproductive, but also irresponsible and wasteful. 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