--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you…" description: "\"Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you know, because of all that pressure, and worry, and fear, it’s worse. There aren’t many men who think clearest ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/joe-abercrombie-791_blame_only-it-s-just-the-same-in-fact-do-you-k_2302559.jpg" --- # Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you know, because of… ![“Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you know, because of all that pressure, and worry, and fear, it’s worse. There aren’t many men who think clearest when the stakes are highest. So people are even stupider in a war than the rest of the time. Thinking about how they’ll dodge the blame, or grab…” quote by Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/joe-abercrombie-791_blame_only-it-s-just-the-same-in-fact-do-you-k_2302559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/joe-abercrombie-791_blame_only-it-s-just-the-same-in-fact-do-you-k_2302559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/joe-abercrombie-791_blame_only-it-s-just-the-same-in-fact-do-you-k_2302559.jpg) > “Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you know, because of all that pressure, and worry, and fear, it’s worse. There aren’t many men who think clearest when the stakes are highest. So people are even stupider in a war than the rest of the time. Thinking about how they’ll dodge the blame, or grab the glory, or save their skins, rather than about what will actually work There’s no job that forgives stupidity more than soldiering. No job that encourages it more.” [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In war, pressure and fear degrade clear thinking, leading to blame-shifting and self‑preservation, making the job of a soldier uniquely unforgiving of stupidity. **In simple terms:** War worsens poor judgment and selfish behavior. Key Takeaway Acknowledge how stress impairs decision‑making. Themes war stress human error self‑preservation Mood grim critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - combat training - leadership workshops - stress management - ethical debates Key Concepts psychology military ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can soldiers maintain clarity under extreme pressure? - What structures help mitigate selfish decisions in combat? A Different Perspective It may understate disciplined heroism under fire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) [Do you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-you-know/) [Dodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dodge/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Forgives Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgives-stupidity-5446954/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Stupider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-stupider-4578685/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Soldiering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiering/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [Stupider War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupider-war-1660528/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) [Stupidity Soldiering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity-soldiering-1660526/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Worry and fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-and-fear/) ## Related quotes > [“This is stupid." "Look. You think how stupid people are most of the time. Old men drink. Women at a village fair. Boys throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/this-is-stupid-look-you-think-how-stupid-people-are-most-of-the-time/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Even God forgives stupidity. So many married people, heaven would be a ghost town otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yatin-patel/even-god-forgives-stupidity-so-many-married-people-heaven-would-be-a/) [Yatin Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yatin-patel/) > [People are stupider than anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/people-are-stupider-than-anybody/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I have a theory that the Internet makes people stupider. And Also FOX News makes people stupider.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-have-a-theory-that-the-internet-makes-people-stupider-and-also-fox/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-love-to-engage-in-repartee-with-people-who-are-stupider-than-i-am/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [The outfit soon took on color, dash and a unique flavor which is the essence of that elusive and deathless thing called soldiering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/the-outfit-soon-took-on-color-dash-and-a-unique-flavor-which-is-the/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Soldiering is a very important profession, is it not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/soldiering-is-a-very-important-profession-is-it-not/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [“You are all soldiers of Christ," he said, "and now is an opportunity given to you to show that you are worthy soldiers. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-henty-2/you-are-all-soldiers-of-christ-he-said-and-now-is-an-opportunity/) [G. A. HENTY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-henty-2/) > [“The soldiers were not paid on time, and often looted and stole – sometimes from enemies, and sometimes friends – to survive.   While…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/the-soldiers-were-not-paid-on-time-and-often-looted-and-stole/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“That's richt. When we were campaignin' wi' Marlborough oor lads had mony time to sleep wi' the canon dirlin' aboot them. Ye get us'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-munro/that-s-richt-when-we-were-campaignin-wi-marlborough-oor-lads-had-mony/) [Neil Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-munro/) > [I've grown up, luckily, with only a distant relationship to war and soldiering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-winter/i-ve-grown-up-luckily-with-only-a-distant-relationship-to-war-and/) [Michael Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-winter/) > [A soldier's first duty is to obey, otherwise you might as well do away with soldiering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/a-soldier-s-first-duty-is-to-obey-otherwise-you-might-as-well-do-away/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [“He could live in this shifting place of betrayals within betrayals, of no loyalties honored, of the strong crushing the weak, no more. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-koen/he-could-live-in-this-shifting-place-of-betrayals-within-betrayals-of/) [Kathleen Koen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-koen/) > [My very identity as a soldier came to an abrupt end. I'd been soldiering as long as I'd been shaving. Suddenly I'd been told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/my-very-identity-as-a-soldier-came-to-an-abrupt-end-i-d-been/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“I was being cured of soldiering on endlessly: my job was now to be still, which had become almost easy at last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-was-being-cured-of-soldiering-on-endlessly-my-job-was-now-to-be/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## More by Joe Abercrombie > [“She shrugged. “I fell. I’m a clumsy fool.” “I know how you feel. 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They need only think that they do... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-lowly-have-small-ambitions-and-are-satisfied-with-small/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“What do the dice say?" Dice say nothing. They are dice." Why roll'em, then?" They are dice. What else would I do with them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/what-do-the-dice-say-dice-say-nothing-they-are-dice-why-roll-em-then/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“You have to realistic about these things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-have-to-realistic-about-these-things/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“That was the difference between a hero and a villain, a soldier and a murderer, a victory and a crime. Which side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/that-was-the-difference-between-a-hero-and-a-villain-a-soldier-and-a/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Nostalgia was becoming a favoured hobby of his. Strange, how the best moments of our lives we scarcely notice except in looking back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/nostalgia-was-becoming-a-favoured-hobby-of-his-strange-how-the-best/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-dead/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Names turned over by time, like the plough turning the soil. Bringing up the new while the old were buried in the mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/names-turned-over-by-time-like-the-plough-turning-the-soil-bringing/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Knives,’ muttered Calder, ‘and threats, and bribes, and war?’ Bayaz’ eyes shone with the lamplight. ‘Yes?’ ‘What kind of a fucking wizard are you?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/knives-muttered-calder-and-threats-and-bribes-and-war-bayaz-eyes/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Straining and straining, getting nowhere, but unable to stop pushing in case the rock should fall and crush him. 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'Many sweet stories have them', said Jaud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/a-bitter-ending-said-yarvi-many-sweet-stories-have-them-said-jaud/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) [Explore all 364 Joe Abercrombie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. 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If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) [Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only it’s just the same. In fact, do you know, because of all that pressure, and worry, and fear, it’s worse. There aren’t many men who think clearest when the stakes are highest. So people are even stupider in a war than the rest of the time. Thinking about how they’ll dodge the blame, or grab the glory, or save their skins, rather than about what will actually work There’s no job that forgives stupidity more than soldiering. 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