--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's generally true of people who drop…" description: "\"That's generally true of people who drop bombs from high altitudes. You don't know what's going on below. You don't see the human consequences of what ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/howard-zinn-576_altitudes_that-s-generally-true-of-people-who-drop_2805464.jpg" --- # That's generally true of people who drop bombs from high… ![“That's generally true of people who drop bombs from high altitudes. You don't know what's going on below. You don't see the human consequences of what you're doing.” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/howard-zinn-576_altitudes_that-s-generally-true-of-people-who-drop_2805464.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/howard-zinn-576_altitudes_that-s-generally-true-of-people-who-drop_2805464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/howard-zinn-576_altitudes_that-s-generally-true-of-people-who-drop_2805464.jpg) > “That's generally true of people who drop bombs from high altitudes. You don't know what's going on below. You don't see the human consequences of what you're doing.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High‑altitude bombers are detached from ground realities, obscuring human impact. **In simple terms:** Bombers lack sight of victims. Key Takeaway Consider consequences of distant actions. Themes war detachment humanity Mood critical empathetic Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - journalism - activism - education Key Concepts ethics military strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can we humanize distant decisions? - What responsibility do bombers have? A Different Perspective Strategic necessity may justify detachment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altitudes/) [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Bombs High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs-high-356126/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Drop Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drop-bombs-759327/) [High Altitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-altitudes-303480/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [When you're climbing at high altitudes, life can get pretty miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/when-you-re-climbing-at-high-altitudes-life-can-get-pretty-miserable/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [Mountaineers have often observed a lack of clarity in their mental state at high altitudes; it is difficult for the stupid mind to observe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-leigh-mallory/mountaineers-have-often-observed-a-lack-of-clarity-in-their-mental/) [George Leigh Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-leigh-mallory/) > [You can climb too high for your own good. Linger too long at high altitudes and your hearing dulls and your eyesight dims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/you-can-climb-too-high-for-your-own-good-linger-too-long-at-high/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“Butter tea has been known for centuries to improve health in people exposed to high altitudes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/butter-tea-has-been-known-for-centuries-to-improve-health-in-people/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When you are very successful, you fly at the very high altitudes and up there you long for to be applauded by the Stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-are-very-successful-you-fly-at-the-very-high-altitudes-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I simply like the monumentality of the subjects - the opportunity for metaphor and the varied light that comes with high altitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/i-simply-like-the-monumentality-of-the-subjects-the-opportunity-for/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [“How hazardous are high powered industrial sodium LASER exposures to night shift summit staff working at very high altitudes across their full lifespan?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/how-hazardous-are-high-powered-industrial-sodium-laser-exposures-to/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The only known way for a sea level adapted human to avoid lifelong high altitude induced disease is to not venture to high altitudes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-only-known-way-for-a-sea-level-adapted-human-to-avoid-lifelong/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Of the six people who started PayPal, four had built bombs in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/of-the-six-people-who-started-paypal-four-had-built-bombs-in-high/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [ “… the fact that it \[the US\] can, at will, drop bombs with only a few hours’ notice, at absolutely any point on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/the-fact-that-it-the-us-can-at-will-drop-bombs-with-only-a-few-hours/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [“Through the overcast sky, I looked up and saw the tin-can planes. I watched their stomachs open and drop the bombs casually out. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/through-the-overcast-sky-i-looked-up-and-saw-the-tin-can-planes-i/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [Above all, I shall see to it that the enemy will not be able to drop any bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/above-all-i-shall-see-to-it-that-the-enemy-will-not-be-able-to-drop/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [Man, I drop bombs like Hiroshima. I got the heroin cut, with the bomb bonita.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-yayo/man-i-drop-bombs-like-hiroshima-i-got-the-heroin-cut-with-the-bomb/) [Tony Yayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-yayo/) > [“mission and those who drop the bombs. Mistakes made by pilots dropping weapons in the wrong place and by Soldiers mistakenly shooting at friendly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-scales/mission-and-those-who-drop-the-bombs-mistakes-made-by-pilots-dropping/) [Bob Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-scales/) > [“You might have to drop a few f-bombs in your fight for inner peace!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-tyrone-jones/you-might-have-to-drop-a-few-f-bombs-in-your-fight-for-inner-peace/) [Curtis Tyrone Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-tyrone-jones/) ## More by Howard Zinn > [“A black man, Benjamin Banneker, who taught himself mathematics and astronomy, predicted accurately a solar eclipse, and was appointed to plan the new city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-black-man-benjamin-banneker-who-taught-himself-mathematics-and/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“a good education is a synthesis of book learning and involvement in social action, because each enrich the other. The accumulation of knowledge, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-good-education-is-a-synthesis-of-book-learning-and-involvement-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction-so tremblingly respectful of states and statesmen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-mountain-of-history-books-under-which-we-all-stand-leans-so/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [I can UNDERSTAND pessimism, but I don't BELIEVE in it. It's not simply a matter of faith, but of historical EVIDENCE. Not overwhelming evidence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-can-understand-pessimism-but-i-don-t-believe-in-it-it-s-not-simply/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it. It is a corrective to the sluggishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/protest-beyond-the-law-is-not-a-departure-from-democracy-it-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [They were not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, they were absent in the Constitution and they were invisible in the new political democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/they-were-not-mentioned-in-the-declaration-of-independence-they-were/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Sexual purity was to be the special virtue of a woman. It was assumed that men, as a matter of biological nature, would sin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/sexual-purity-was-to-be-the-special-virtue-of-a-woman-it-was-assumed/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Middle-class Americans might be invited to join a new elite by attacks against the corruption of the established rich. The New Yorker Cadwallader Colden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/middle-class-americans-might-be-invited-to-join-a-new-elite-by/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-those-in-charge-of-our-society-politicians-corporate-executives/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/we-were-not-born-critical-of-existing-society-there-was-a-moment-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Behind the deceptive words designed to entice people into supporting violence -- words like democracy, freedom, self-defense, national security -- there is the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/behind-the-deceptive-words-designed-to-entice-people-into-supporting/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“George Washington had turned down the requests of blacks, seeking freedom, to fight in the Revolutionary army. So when the British military commander in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/george-washington-had-turned-down-the-requests-of-blacks-seeking/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) [Explore all 461 Howard Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## More Altitudes quotes > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [“Computer simulations confirm this intuition and suggest that injection in the tropics at altitudes a bit over 20 kilometers (65 thousand feet) would be adequate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-keith/computer-simulations-confirm-this-intuition-and-suggest-that/) [David Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-keith/) > [“Very high altitude astronomy only works by ignoring established biological science”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/very-high-altitude-astronomy-only-works-by-ignoring-established/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When you're climbing at high altitudes, life can get pretty miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/when-you-re-climbing-at-high-altitudes-life-can-get-pretty-miserable/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [“How hazardous are high powered industrial sodium LASER exposures to night shift summit staff working at very high altitudes across their full lifespan?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/how-hazardous-are-high-powered-industrial-sodium-laser-exposures-to/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I simply like the monumentality of the subjects - the opportunity for metaphor and the varied light that comes with high altitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/i-simply-like-the-monumentality-of-the-subjects-the-opportunity-for/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [“The only known way for a sea level adapted human to avoid lifelong high altitude induced disease is to not venture to high altitudes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-only-known-way-for-a-sea-level-adapted-human-to-avoid-lifelong/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [The bottom line is there is large uncertainty because nobody has a very good handle on aerodynamics at those altitudes and at those speeds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-hale/the-bottom-line-is-there-is-large-uncertainty-because-nobody-has-a/) [Wayne Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-hale/) > [“Butter tea has been known for centuries to improve health in people exposed to high altitudes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/butter-tea-has-been-known-for-centuries-to-improve-health-in-people/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“A sincere attitude of gratitude is a beatitude for secured altitudes. Appreciate what you have been given and you will be promoted higher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/a-sincere-attitude-of-gratitude-is-a-beatitude-for-secured-altitudes/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [You can climb too high for your own good. Linger too long at high altitudes and your hearing dulls and your eyesight dims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/you-can-climb-too-high-for-your-own-good-linger-too-long-at-high/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Mountaineers have often observed a lack of clarity in their mental state at high altitudes; it is difficult for the stupid mind to observe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-leigh-mallory/mountaineers-have-often-observed-a-lack-of-clarity-in-their-mental/) [George Leigh Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-leigh-mallory/) > [When you are very successful, you fly at the very high altitudes and up there you long for to be applauded by the Stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-are-very-successful-you-fly-at-the-very-high-altitudes-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 14 Altitudes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altitudes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's generally true of people who drop bombs from high altitudes. 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