--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot change ideas in the minds of…" description: "\"We cannot change ideas in the minds of men and races with machine guns or battle ships.\" — Herbert Hoover" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ec/herbert-hoover-1115_battle_we-cannot-change-ideas-in-the-minds-of-m_1885579.jpg" --- # We cannot change ideas in the minds of men and races with… ![“We cannot change ideas in the minds of men and races with machine guns or battle ships.” quote by Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ec/herbert-hoover-1115_battle_we-cannot-change-ideas-in-the-minds-of-m_1885579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ec/herbert-hoover-1115_battle_we-cannot-change-ideas-in-the-minds-of-m_1885579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ec/herbert-hoover-1115_battle_we-cannot-change-ideas-in-the-minds-of-m_1885579.jpg) > “We cannot change ideas in the minds of men and races with machine guns or battle ships.” [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that violent force cannot change deep-seated ideas or prejudices. **In simple terms:** Violence won’t change minds. Key Takeaway Seek dialogue over force. Themes peace ideas conflict resolution Mood hopeful serious Type ethical strategic When to use this quote - political negotiations - community building - education programs Key Concepts social change nonviolence Questions to Reflect On - What nonviolent methods are most effective? - How can education reshape prejudices? A Different Perspective Deep biases are hard to shift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Guns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guns/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Machine gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machine-gun/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Machine guns, missile launchers, grappling hooks and cables—what more could a girl want?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-cox/machine-guns-missile-launchers-grappling-hooks-and-cables-what-more/) [Greg Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-cox/) > [Few machine guns close, we could squeeze all three. Be a cold day in hell fore they creep on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/few-machine-guns-close-we-could-squeeze-all-three-be-a-cold-day-in/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Ah, these diplomats! What chatterboxes! There's only one way to shut them up - cut them down with machine guns. Bulganin, go and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/ah-these-diplomats-what-chatterboxes-there-s-only-one-way-to-shut/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [How many times did someone have to run in front of a machine gun before it became an act of cowardice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-herr/how-many-times-did-someone-have-to-run-in-front-of-a-machine-gun/) [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) > [WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR TYPEWRITER YOU LEAVE YOUR MACHINE GUN AND THE RATS COME POURING THROUGH.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-you-leave-your-typewriter-you-leave-your-machine-gun-and-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [There was, like, a week straight of shooting, where, like, all I did was shoot a machine gun. And I hate to - every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/there-was-like-a-week-straight-of-shooting-where-like-all-i-did-was/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [When the term 'machine gun' enters common parlance, the word 'machine' becomes much more sinister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/when-the-term-machine-gun-enters-common-parlance-the-word-machine/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [I don't believe that in the name of the holiness of the city you have to put barbed wires, machine gun nests, mine pins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/i-don-t-believe-that-in-the-name-of-the-holiness-of-the-city-you-have/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [There is ...a huge tacit conspiracy between the U.S. government, its agencies and its multinational corporations, on the one hand, and local business and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-s-herman/there-is-a-huge-tacit-conspiracy-between-the-u-s-government-its/) [Edward S. Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-s-herman/) > [I got drafted into the army and by pure chance was pushed into a silk-screen shop at this camp where I was, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/i-got-drafted-into-the-army-and-by-pure-chance-was-pushed-into-a-silk/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [I noticed the bushes all around where I stood in my fight with the machine guns were all cut down. The bullets went over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-c-york/i-noticed-the-bushes-all-around-where-i-stood-in-my-fight-with-the/) [Alvin C. York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-c-york/) > [If, for instance, you put in a Malay officer who's very religious and who has family ties in Malaysia in charge of a machine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/if-for-instance-you-put-in-a-malay-officer-who-s-very-religious-and/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Visually I've always liked the 20s 30s for film. I do these because I like the music. I like the clothes. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/visually-i-ve-always-liked-the-20s-30s-for-film-i-do-these-because-i/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [My mind's a machine gun, my body's the bullets and the audience is the target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gg-allin/my-mind-s-a-machine-gun-my-body-s-the-bullets-and-the-audience-is-the/) [GG Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gg-allin/) > [No matter how many people you kill, using a machine gun in battle is not a war crime because it does not cause unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/no-matter-how-many-people-you-kill-using-a-machine-gun-in-battle-is/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## More by Herbert Hoover > [While the crash only took place six months ago, I am convinced we have now passed the worst, and with continued unity of effort,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/while-the-crash-only-took-place-six-months-ago-i-am-convinced-we-have/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. 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The discoveries of science have immensely increased productivity of material things. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/man-is-still-by-instinct-a-predatory-animal-given-to-devilish/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [You convey too great a compliment when you say that I have earned the right to the presidential nomination. No man can establish such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/you-convey-too-great-a-compliment-when-you-say-that-i-have-earned-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Leadership cannot be created synthetically. 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