---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it possible to put an end to a form of…"
description: "\"Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior which has existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/james-nachtwey-12788_habits_is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-o_990600.jpg"
---

#  Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior…

![“Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior which has existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion seem ridiculously out of balance. Yet, that very idea has motivated me.” quote by James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/james-nachtwey-12788_habits_is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-o_990600.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/james-nachtwey-12788_habits_is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-o_990600.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/james-nachtwey-12788_habits_is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-o_990600.jpg)

> “Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior which has existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion seem ridiculously out of balance. Yet, that very idea has motivated me.”

[James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The challenge of ending harmful human behavior through photography is immense, yet it fuels the photographer's drive.

**In simple terms:** Photography struggles to stop deep-rooted behavior but inspires action.

Key Takeaway

Use images to spark change.

Themes

ethics art social change

Mood

reflective urgent

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- journalism
- advocacy
- education
- policy debate

Key Concepts

visual activism human suffering media influence

Questions to Reflect On

- Can a photo truly end a historic behavior?
- What role does the viewer play in change?

A Different Perspective

Images alone may not change behavior without systemic action.

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[Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Human behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-behavior/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/)

## Related quotes

> [Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior which has existed throughout history by means of photography?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-of-human-behavior-which-has-2/)

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> [Why photograph war? Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior, which has existed throughout history, by the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/why-photograph-war-is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-of-human/)

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> [I discovered that this camera was the technical means in photography of communicating what the world looks like in a state of heightened awareness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-shore/i-discovered-that-this-camera-was-the-technical-means-in-photography/)

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> [Black and white means photography to me. It's much easier to take a good color photograph, but you can get more drama into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-kirchherr/black-and-white-means-photography-to-me-it-s-much-easier-to-take-a/)

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> [Nothing seemed to me more appropriate than to project an image of our time with absolute fidelity to nature by means of photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-sander/nothing-seemed-to-me-more-appropriate-than-to-project-an-image-of-our/)

[August Sander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-sander/)

> [When I was thirteen I basically asked my mother if it was possible for this to end, that I'd had enough of it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-blair/when-i-was-thirteen-i-basically-asked-my-mother-if-it-was-possible/)

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> [“He needed to keep as far away from her as possible, or they'd end up back in bed together or she'd kill him. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-stuart/he-needed-to-keep-as-far-away-from-her-as-possible-or-they-d-end-up/)

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> [It's quite possible that the end of us will not be the end of the Earth. Even if we really screw things up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/it-s-quite-possible-that-the-end-of-us-will-not-be-the-end-of-the/)

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> [If infinity is as they describe it, all things are not just possible but in the end certain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/if-infinity-is-as-they-describe-it-all-things-are-not-just-possible/)

[Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/)

> [Yes, it's possible that I will end my career at FC Porto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-neves/yes-it-s-possible-that-i-will-end-my-career-at-fc-porto/)

[Ruben Neves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-neves/)

> [“I loved him in that moment more than I thought possible, but it would end when this night did. We might chase the phantoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-oruska/i-loved-him-in-that-moment-more-than-i-thought-possible-but-it-would/)

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> [When I was 13 I asked my mother if it was possible for this to end - I'd had enough of it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-blair/when-i-was-13-i-asked-my-mother-if-it-was-possible-for-this-to-end-i/)

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> [Photojournalists know the horrors of war can only be exposed at close range. Kodak Film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/photojournalists-know-the-horrors-of-war-can-only-be-exposed-at-close/)

[James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/)

> [“It is important you understand how fear affects you and how it drives human behavior so you can start to see situations and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/it-is-important-you-understand-how-fear-affects-you-and-how-it-drives/)

[Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

## More by James Nachtwey

> [Photojournalists know the horrors of war can only be exposed at close range. Kodak Film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/photojournalists-know-the-horrors-of-war-can-only-be-exposed-at-close/)

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> [Why photograph war? Is it possible to put an end to a form of human behavior, which has existed throughout history, by the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/why-photograph-war-is-it-possible-to-put-an-end-to-a-form-of-human/)

[James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/)

> [There has always been war. War is raging throughout the world at the present moment. And there is little reason to believe that war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/there-has-always-been-war-war-is-raging-throughout-the-world-at-the/)

[James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/)

> [If you make an honest picture of war, it will be an antiwar photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/if-you-make-an-honest-picture-of-war-it-will-be-an-antiwar-photograph/)

[James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/)

> [The worst thing is to feel that as a photographer I am benefiting from someone else's tragedy. This idea haunts me. It's something I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/the-worst-thing-is-to-feel-that-as-a-photographer-i-am-benefiting/)

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> [If Im feeling outraged, grief, disbelief, frustration, sympathy, that gets channeled through me and into my pictures and hopefully transmitted to the viewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/if-im-feeling-outraged-grief-disbelief-frustration-sympathy-that-gets/)

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> [I want my pictures to cut through political abstractions... and make a connection on a human level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/i-want-my-pictures-to-cut-through-political-abstractions-and-make-a/)

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