---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Landmines distinguish themselves because…"
description: "\"Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the weapon, the landmine cannot tell the difference..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png"
---

#  Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have…

![“Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the weapon, the landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian - a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood to make the family meal.” quote by Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png)

> “Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the weapon, the landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian - a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood to make the family meal.”

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

## About This Quote

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

Landmines remain lethal indiscriminately, harming civilians even after combat ends.

**In simple terms:** Landmines kill civilians after wars.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for mine clearance and victim assistance.

Themes

humanitarian war civilian safety

Mood

somber urgent

Type

advocacy humanitarian

When to use this quote

- post‑war reconstruction
- humanitarian aid
- community education
- victim support

Key Concepts

explosive remnants post‑conflict recovery ethical warfare

Questions to Reflect On

- How can communities protect themselves from hidden mines?
- What policies accelerate de‑mining?

A Different Perspective

Clearing mines is costly and politically complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Sown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sown/) [Weapon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapon/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/)

## Related quotes

> [The landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian - a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/the-landmine-cannot-tell-the-difference-between-a-soldier-or-a/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [“You. What is the moral difference, if any, between the soldier and the civilian?" "The difference," I answered carefully, "lies in the field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinlein-robert-a/you-what-is-the-moral-difference-if-any-between-the-soldier-and-the/)

Heinlein Robert A

> [There is one unalterable difference between a soldier and a civilian: the civilian never does more than he is paid to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-rommel/there-is-one-unalterable-difference-between-a-soldier-and-a-civilian/)

[Erwin Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-rommel/)

> [The moral difference between a soldier and a civilian is that the soldier accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-moral-difference-between-a-soldier-and-a-civilian-is-that-the/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [In war, discipline is superior to strength; but if that discipline is neglected there is no longer any difference between the soldier and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publius-flavius-vegetius-renatus/in-war-discipline-is-superior-to-strength-but-if-that-discipline-is/)

[Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publius-flavius-vegetius-renatus/)

> [“Perhaps to the soldier the civilian is the man who employs him to kill, who includes the guilt of murder in the pay-envelope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/perhaps-to-the-soldier-the-civilian-is-the-man-who-employs-him-to/)

[Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/)

> [Charity bestowed upon those who are worthy of it is like good seed sown on a good soil that yields an abundance of fruits.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddha/charity-bestowed-upon-those-who-are-worthy-of-it-is-like-good-seed/)

[Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddha/)

> [I'm fairly certain that the seeds of Mel Gibson's extraordinary work 'The Passion of the Christ' were sown long before Islamic fundamentalists delivered their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-m-fairly-certain-that-the-seeds-of-mel-gibson-s-extraordinary-work/)

[Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/)

> [“I must leave others to wear the laurels that I have sown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-must-leave-others-to-wear-the-laurels-that-i-have-sown/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Im benefitting from the sacrifices and seeds sown by Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, and so many others. Those of us who are beneficiaries owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/im-benefitting-from-the-sacrifices-and-seeds-sown-by-shirley-chisholm/)

[Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/)

> [I think I must have too much to eat, we were doing a scene where we were crawling, and I ripped my trousers. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sutton/i-think-i-must-have-too-much-to-eat-we-were-doing-a-scene-where-we/)

[Sarah Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sutton/)

> [Corporate executives and business owners need to realize that there can be no compromise when it comes to ethics, and there are no easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/corporate-executives-and-business-owners-need-to-realize-that-there/)

[Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/)

> [The seeds of divorce are often sown and the problems of children begin when Mother works outside the home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-seeds-of-divorce-are-often-sown-and-the-problems-of-children/)

[Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/)

> [“I had an honest, ordered, respectable and unexciting life to look forward to. I had sown my wild oats and it was time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-had-an-honest-ordered-respectable-and-unexciting-life-to-look/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [Seeds must be sown everywhere. Only some will bear fruit. But there would not be the fruit from the few had the many not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/seeds-must-be-sown-everywhere-only-some-will-bear-fruit-but-there/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

## More by Jody Williams

> [It's sort of easy to make a challenge. It's very hard to put the full fate of your government behind the challenge and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/it-s-sort-of-easy-to-make-a-challenge-it-s-very-hard-to-put-the-full/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [I believe that worrying about the problems plaguing our planet without taking steps to confront them is absolutely irrelevant. The only thing that changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/i-believe-that-worrying-about-the-problems-plaguing-our-planet/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [When I was a kid I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I did know what I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/when-i-was-a-kid-i-didn-t-know-what-i-wanted-to-be-when-i-grew-up-but/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [The landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian - a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/the-landmine-cannot-tell-the-difference-between-a-soldier-or-a/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [For me, the difference between an ‘ordinary’ and an ‘extraordinary’ person is not the title that person might have, but what they do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/for-me-the-difference-between-an-ordinary-and-an-extraordinary-person/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [What separates an ordinary woman from an extraordinary one? The belief that she is ordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/what-separates-an-ordinary-woman-from-an-extraordinary-one-the-belief/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [Landmines are different from other conventional weapons. When a war is over, the landmines stay in the ground and continue to kill - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/landmines-are-different-from-other-conventional-weapons-when-a-war-is/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [Go beyond tolerance to acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/go-beyond-tolerance-to-acceptance/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [This victory is in large part due to the Internet... For the first time, a coalition of NGOs has had an influence on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/this-victory-is-in-large-part-due-to-the-internet-for-the-first-time/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [ What I consider to be peace \[is\] a sustainable peace in which the majority of people on this planet have access to enough resources… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/what-i-consider-to-be-peace-is-a-sustainable-peace-in-which-the/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [I think there’s a mythology that if you want to change the world, you have to be sainted, like Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/i-think-there-s-a-mythology-that-if-you-want-to-change-the-world-you/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [Even soldiers from the Vietnam War had said that when they were fighting in that war, the landmine was just one of any number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/even-soldiers-from-the-vietnam-war-had-said-that-when-they-were/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [Together we have given the world the possibility of one day living on a truly mine-free planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/together-we-have-given-the-world-the-possibility-of-one-day-living-on/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [By the late 1980s, there was the beginning of awareness about a significant global landmine problem, and small steps were being taken to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/by-the-late-1980s-there-was-the-beginning-of-awareness-about-a/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

> [ We really are at the crossroads and \[disarmament\] will happen if people of goodwill all over the world raise their voices and take action… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/we-really-are-at-the-crossroads-and-disarmament-will-happen-if-people/)

[Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

[Explore all 24 Jody Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/)

## More Away quotes

> [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/)

[Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/)

> [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/)

[John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/)

> [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/)

[Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/)

> [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/)

[Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/)

> [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/)

[Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/)

> [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

> [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/)

[John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/)

> [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/)

[Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/)

> [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/)

[Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/)

Browse all 4,933 Away quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the weapon, the landmine cannot tell the difference between a soldier or a civilian - a woman, a child, a grandmother going out to collect firewood to make the family meal.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jody Williams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/landmines-distinguish-themselves-because-once-they-have-been-sown/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Away"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/landmines-distinguish-themselves-because-once-they-have-been-sown/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/jody-williams-24614_away_landmines-distinguish-themselves-because_1777225.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Landmines distinguish themselves because once they have been sown, once the soldier walks away from the…” — Jody Williams",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jody Williams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Landmines distinguish themselves because once they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/landmines-distinguish-themselves-because-once-they-have-been-sown/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/landmines-distinguish-themselves-because-once-they-have-been-sown/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
