--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me going to war offers me the ability…" description: "\"For me going to war offers me the ability to write about apparently very alien, sometimes hated or despised people, who've been objectified in a way th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/972/jon-lee-anderson-28056_ability_for-me-going-to-war-offers-me-the-abilit_3085504.jpg" --- # For me going to war offers me the ability to write about… ![“For me going to war offers me the ability to write about apparently very alien, sometimes hated or despised people, who've been objectified in a way that restores their humanity. Hopefully for my readers, that denies them the ability to objectify them. I think that's the point. If you can do that…” quote by Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/972/jon-lee-anderson-28056_ability_for-me-going-to-war-offers-me-the-abilit_3085504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/972/jon-lee-anderson-28056_ability_for-me-going-to-war-offers-me-the-abilit_3085504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/972/jon-lee-anderson-28056_ability_for-me-going-to-war-offers-me-the-abilit_3085504.jpg) > “For me going to war offers me the ability to write about apparently very alien, sometimes hated or despised people, who've been objectified in a way that restores their humanity. Hopefully for my readers, that denies them the ability to objectify them. I think that's the point. If you can do that, that's a good thing.” [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes using war reportage to humanize those often dehumanized, aiming to prevent readers from objectifying subjects and to restore their dignity. **In simple terms:** War writing can restore humanity to the vilified. Key Takeaway Use storytelling to humanize the "other". Themes journalism war humanity Mood thoughtful empathetic Type reflective ethical When to use this quote - conflict zones - media coverage - educational curricula - public discourse Key Concepts empathy objectification narrative power Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do war journalists have? - How can narratives avoid sensationalism? A Different Perspective It may romanticize conflict or ignore systemic causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Objectify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-objectify-5281621/) [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Going to war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-to-war/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Hated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated/) [Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopefully/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Objectified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectified/) [Objectified Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectified-way-343517/) [Objectify Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectify-think-5281623/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Ve Objectified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-objectified-5281622/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In advertisements for your favorite products, are women denigrated or objectified in some way? All of that is important. I would rewrite my kids'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/in-advertisements-for-your-favorite-products-are-women-denigrated-or/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [Beauty is objectified pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/beauty-is-objectified-pleasure/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [It's not always so great to be objectified, but I don't feel I have much of a choice right now. I'm young in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-alba/it-s-not-always-so-great-to-be-objectified-but-i-don-t-feel-i-have/) [Jessica Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-alba/) > [People keep telling me, "You don't like boys!" 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I'm very aware of how I'm constantly being sexualized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esme-creed-miles/the-way-i-feel-seen-by-the-opposite-sex-is-sometimes-really/) [Esme Creed-Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esme-creed-miles/) > [There's a little part of you at all times that hopes to be somewhat objectified, and I think it's healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-diaz/there-s-a-little-part-of-you-at-all-times-that-hopes-to-be-somewhat/) [Cameron Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-diaz/) > [There's a funny line between feeling objectified and feeling supported and it's a very odd one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bateman/there-s-a-funny-line-between-feeling-objectified-and-feeling/) [Tom Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bateman/) > [Objectivity is almost a choice you make. 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The right wing did it to Nancy Pelosi for years and years and years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/it-s-very-easy-to-vilify-someone-when-they-re-objectified-the-right/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) > [So often, women are there just to be looked at and be objectified for the titillation of the male audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitriona-balfe/so-often-women-are-there-just-to-be-looked-at-and-be-objectified-for/) [Caitriona Balfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitriona-balfe/) > [ I started the film \[Hostel Part II\]with the girls in an art class and there's a nude male model. People think that women are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-started-the-film-hostel-part-ii-with-the-girls-in-an-art-class-and/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [I think it was Elisabeth Shue who said that if you start a movie with a woman seen through a man's eyes, that woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-taylor-johnson/i-think-it-was-elisabeth-shue-who-said-that-if-you-start-a-movie-with/) [Sam Taylor-Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-taylor-johnson/) ## More by Jon Lee Anderson > [How is it possible to live in world where people can rule millions of others? It's incredible! 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Everything becomes black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/that-s-what-s-terrible-about-wars-when-whole-societies-adopt-an/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [“with Ernestito riding on the front of his father’s saddle; and river excursions aboard the Kid, a wooden launch with a four-berth cabin that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/with-ernestito-riding-on-the-front-of-his-father-s-saddle-and-river/) [jon lee anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [We live in an extraordinary time, in which one still has the ability to mold opinion. Also, it's up for grabs. Perceptions are up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/we-live-in-an-extraordinary-time-in-which-one-still-has-the-ability/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [I think it's deeply important for us to know, especially when we come from the outside, how "ordinary people" think and feel and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/i-think-it-s-deeply-important-for-us-to-know-especially-when-we-come/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [Charles Darwin, who had witnessed the atrocities perpetrated against Argentina’s native Indians by Juan Manuel de Rosas, had predicted that “the country will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/charles-darwin-who-had-witnessed-the-atrocities-perpetrated-against/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [It is important to know how influential people think and perceive their countrymen, let's say, especially when you are talking about people in power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/it-is-important-to-know-how-influential-people-think-and-perceive/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [Che is not just a potent figure of protest, but the idealistic, questioning kid who exists in every society and every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/che-is-not-just-a-potent-figure-of-protest-but-the-idealistic/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [I don't think we would have had to be an occupying power if we had done the right thing in 1991.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/i-don-t-think-we-would-have-had-to-be-an-occupying-power-if-we-had/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) > [Life has become terribly insecure. 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And much more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lee-anderson/the-mercy-caravans-are-through-there-the-medicine-refugees-flowing/) [Jon Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) [Explore all 20 Jon Lee Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lee-anderson/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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