--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But as much as this is a soldier's reason…" description: "\"“But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is not often that you hear a soldier explicitly talk about 'killing'. The k-word as a verb is ins..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/jake-wood-36998_detach_but-as-much-as-this-is-a-soldier-s-reaso_2855593.jpg" --- # But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is… ![“But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is not often that you hear a soldier explicitly talk about 'killing'. The k-word as a verb is instead often disguised and supplanted by any number of other euphemisms. In precise and technical military parlance, reflecting the ever more precise…” quote by Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/jake-wood-36998_detach_but-as-much-as-this-is-a-soldier-s-reaso_2855593.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/jake-wood-36998_detach_but-as-much-as-this-is-a-soldier-s-reaso_2855593.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/jake-wood-36998_detach_but-as-much-as-this-is-a-soldier-s-reaso_2855593.jpg) > ““But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is not often that you hear a soldier explicitly talk about 'killing'. The k-word as a verb is instead often disguised and supplanted by any number of other euphemisms. In precise and technical military parlance, reflecting the ever more precise and technically removed means of killing, the 'enemy' becomes the 'target'. But for the soldiers who personally 'engage' these 'targets', these objects are colloquially 'slotted', 'dropped', 'hit', 'fragged', 'sawn in half', 'smashed' or just plain 'shot'. Then the soldier will have achieved the noun of a 'kill'. The author's supposition is that such words are used by the soldier in combat as an attempt to mentally dissociate himself from the reality of his actions, so he can continue to operate as a soldier - and perhaps, when all is finally said and done, as a human being back home.”” [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Soldiers use euphemisms for killing to create emotional distance, allowing them to function in combat while preserving humanity. **In simple terms:** Euphemisms help soldiers detach from killing. Key Takeaway Recognize and address language that masks violence. Themes psychology combat language morality mental health Mood reflective somber Type analytical critical When to use this quote - military training - post‑combat counseling - media reporting - public discourse Key Concepts dissociation cognitive framing ethical coping Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape moral perception? - Can alternative framing reduce psychological harm? A Different Perspective Such language may also desensitize and normalize violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Detach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detach/) [Dissociation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociation/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes, killing word is 'seen', while death word are 'K'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-killing-word-is-seen-while-death-word-are-k/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Where is Alia?' she asked. 'Out doing what any good Fremen child should be doing in such times,' Paul said. 'She’s killing enemy wounded...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/where-is-alia-she-asked-out-doing-what-any-good-fremen-child-should/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“You can only pretend that you're already dead and thus free yourself up to focus on three things: 1) finding and killing the enemy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-campbell/you-can-only-pretend-that-you-re-already-dead-and-thus-free-yourself/) Donovan Campbell > [It's probably weird to think about an addiction like it's a sentient being, but that's how it feels. Like it's something living inside you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/it-s-probably-weird-to-think-about-an-addiction-like-it-s-a-sentient/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [To dissociate the child from love is, for our species, a methodological error: contraception, which is to make love without making a child; artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lejeune/to-dissociate-the-child-from-love-is-for-our-species-a-methodological/) [Jerome Lejeune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lejeune/) > [“if zombies eat a family member, you're gonna dissociate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-sheridan/if-zombies-eat-a-family-member-you-re-gonna-dissociate/) [Sam Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-sheridan/) > [“Repentance means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into... It means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/repentance-means-unlearning-all-the-self-conceit-and-self-will-that/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Everyone else went to drama school, and that teaches you how to dissociate from your character. I don't know any technique! I'm just acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esme-creed-miles/everyone-else-went-to-drama-school-and-that-teaches-you-how-to/) [Esme Creed-Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esme-creed-miles/) > [Children who have been very sadistically abused over the long-term are able to dissociate, some of them are able to dissociate as a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/children-who-have-been-very-sadistically-abused-over-the-long-term/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Part of being a psychopath is an ability to dissociate from one reality and create another one, completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/part-of-being-a-psychopath-is-an-ability-to-dissociate-from-one/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [I like to dissociate myself from the person I was even three hours ago. It's a natural requirement to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-grover/i-like-to-dissociate-myself-from-the-person-i-was-even-three-hours/) [Varun Grover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-grover/) > [“Power is based, at bottom, on the ability to kill; thus the means of killing have to be available, even if only to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-newman/power-is-based-at-bottom-on-the-ability-to-kill-thus-the-means-of/) [Kim Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-newman/) > [“Treating Abuse Today (Tat), 3(4), pp. 26-33 Freyd: I see what you're saying but people in psychology don't have a uniform agreement on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-calof/treating-abuse-today-tat-3-4-pp-26-33-freyd-i-see-what-you-re-saying/) [David L. Calof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-calof/) > [ \[Repentance\] means unlearning all the self-conceit and self -will that we have been training ourselves into... It means killing part of yourself, under-going a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/repentance-means-unlearning-all-the-self-conceit-and-self-will-that-2/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“A refusal on the part of psychiatrists and therapists to validate the horrors of their patients' tortured past implies a refusal to take seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-de-zulueta/a-refusal-on-the-part-of-psychiatrists-and-therapists-to-validate-the/) Felicity De Zulueta ## More by Jake Wood > [“By not burning their poppy fields to the ground but instead maintaining a security umbrella that international development agencies could safely work under as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/by-not-burning-their-poppy-fields-to-the-ground-but-instead/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [“You are no longer human, with all those depths and highs and nuances of emotion that define you as a person. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/you-are-no-longer-human-with-all-those-depths-and-highs-and-nuances/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [“...my ability to trust had been shattered into splinters, its fragmented shards slicing through every darkened recess of my mind, his absolution won my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/my-ability-to-trust-had-been-shattered-into-splinters-its-fragmented/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [“my mind struggled top condense all that had led to me being here. 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Of course, I would rather hear this than the contrary, but I cannot say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/my-family-says-they-are-proud-of-me-of-course-i-would-rather-hear/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) [Explore all 12 Jake Wood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) ## More Detach quotes > [Relation is like a Stapler, Its easy to attach but hard to detach. & Worst is wen u r able to detach it, It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/relation-is-like-a-stapler-its-easy-to-attach-but-hard-to-detach/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“To Graduate from the "School of Life" you need to have met the following criteria: Found your life purpose, know how the egoic mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-g-roussou/to-graduate-from-the-school-of-life-you-need-to-have-met-the/) [Marina G. Roussou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-g-roussou/) > [RElaTi0NsHiPs are like stappling papers together… Easy t0 ''ATTACH'' But Difficult to ''DETACH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meemo/relati0nships-are-like-stappling-papers-together-easy-t0-attach-but/) MeeMo > [Even when I detach, I care. You can be separate from a thing and still care about it. If I wanted to detach completely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/even-when-i-detach-i-care-you-can-be-separate-from-a-thing-and-still/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When I go into the studio, I completely detach. I let my emotions come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/when-i-go-into-the-studio-i-completely-detach-i-let-my-emotions-come/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [“Not only can we lovingly detach from other people and take care of ourselves, it is our primary responsibility in life to do that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/not-only-can-we-lovingly-detach-from-other-people-and-take-care-of/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [“In order to hand me over she had to detach herself from herself, and afterward she never managed to get back inside herself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emuna-elon/in-order-to-hand-me-over-she-had-to-detach-herself-from-herself-and/) emuna elon > [I can detach my waist from the rest of my body during sex. It allows me a free range of motion, and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-ochocinco/i-can-detach-my-waist-from-the-rest-of-my-body-during-sex-it-allows/) [Chad Ochocinco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-ochocinco/) > [Man must do his part and detach himself from created things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-tauler/man-must-do-his-part-and-detach-himself-from-created-things/) [Johannes Tauler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-tauler/) > [DETACH YOURSELF FROM YOUR STUFF You're not what you have and you're not what you do; you're an infinite, divine being disguised as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/detach-yourself-from-your-stuff-you-re-not-what-you-have-and-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Detach yourself just when you realize you are closer to a heart break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/detach-yourself-just-when-you-realize-you-are-closer-to-a-heart-break/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I never wanted to be alone, but I always opted for loneliness. I am an emotional, sensitive and expressive creature. I cannot detach my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/i-never-wanted-to-be-alone-but-i-always-opted-for-loneliness-i-am-an/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [I don't want to get so lost in thinking about me and talking about me all the time in interviews. It's so nice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/river-phoenix/i-don-t-want-to-get-so-lost-in-thinking-about-me-and-talking-about-me/) [River Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/river-phoenix/) > [“You must detach yourself from the stereotypical life to live an effective one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-must-detach-yourself-from-the-stereotypical-life-to-live-an/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Detach from emotions and desires; get rid of any fixations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuge-liang/detach-from-emotions-and-desires-get-rid-of-any-fixations/) [Zhuge Liang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuge-liang/) [Browse all 36 Detach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detach/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But as much as this is a soldier's reason d'etre, it is not often that you hear a soldier explicitly talk about 'killing'. The k-word as a verb is instead often disguised and supplanted by any number of other euphemisms. In precise and technical military parlance, reflecting the ever more precise and technically removed means of killing, the 'enemy' becomes the 'target'. But for the soldiers who personally 'engage' these 'targets', these objects are colloquially 'slotted', 'dropped', 'hit', 'fragged', 'sawn in half', 'smashed' or just plain 'shot'. Then the soldier will have achieved the noun of a 'kill'. 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