--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He began to wonder with genuine concern…" description: "\"“He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of shithead the Pentagon had foisted on him.”\" — Joseph Heller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png" --- # He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of… ![“He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of shithead the Pentagon had foisted on him.” quote by Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png) > ““He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of shithead the Pentagon had foisted on him.”” [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The character questions the absurdity and danger of military decisions, suspecting the Pentagon of incompetence. **In simple terms:** He doubts the Pentagon’s competence. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek transparency. Themes war bureaucracy absurdity skepticism Mood critical skeptical Type satirical analytical When to use this quote - policy analysis - military service - government oversight - public debate - media critique Key Concepts political satire military ethics critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do we hold institutions accountable? - What evidence supports your doubts? A Different Perspective Complex issues may require nuanced understanding beyond suspicion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genuine concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-concern/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) ## Related quotes > [It's not my concern. It's your concern. I just keep working. 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There's no escape.As we touch we leave our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-our-hands-touch-we-leave-fingerprints-on-walls-on-furniture/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The quality of everything we do: our physical actions, our verbal actions, and even our mental actions, depends on our motivation. That's why it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-quality-of-everything-we-do-our-physical-actions-our-verbal/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“To Move from Woe to Wow with an Unhappy Customer. . . Apologize • Thank your customer for raising the issue. • Apologize sincerely–never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/to-move-from-woe-to-wow-with-an-unhappy-customer-apologize-thank-your/) [Susan C. 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Then I told her about my own difficult experiences and I showed some genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-met-an-american-lady-many-years-ago-much-distant-then-i-told-her/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [At the trial of Chelsea Manning, the government could point to no case of specific damage that had been caused by the massive revelation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/at-the-trial-of-chelsea-manning-the-government-could-point-to-no-case/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“Unconditional love is not affirming another in every decision they make especially when those choices are unhealthy. Unconditional love will risk offending in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-m-rose/unconditional-love-is-not-affirming-another-in-every-decision-they/) [Michael M. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-m-rose/) ## More by Joseph Heller > [“Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-very-deeply-by-the-absolute-simplicity-of-this/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I’m cold,' Snowden said softly, 'I’m cold.' 'You’re going to be all right, kid,' Yossarian reassured him with a grin. 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And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/his-specialty-was-alfalfa-and-he-made-a-good-thing-out-of-not-growing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“No such private nights of ecstasy or hushed-up drinking and sex orgies ever occurred. They might have occurred if either General Dreedle or General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/no-such-private-nights-of-ecstasy-or-hushed-up-drinking-and-sex/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) [Explore all 420 Joseph Heller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## More Genuine concern quotes > [“Unconditional love is not affirming another in every decision they make especially when those choices are unhealthy. Unconditional love will risk offending in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-m-rose/unconditional-love-is-not-affirming-another-in-every-decision-they/) [Michael M. 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Clearly, it must be possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-do-not-know-what-awaits-each-of-us-after-death-but-we-know-that-we/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [It is this obsession with GDP and FDI growth and a facile belief that this growth in the GDP would trickle down to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/it-is-this-obsession-with-gdp-and-fdi-growth-and-a-facile-belief-that/) [Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/) > [The most compassionate form of giving is done with no thought or expectation of reward, and grounded in genuine concern for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-most-compassionate-form-of-giving-is-done-with-no-thought-or/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“A discreet person . . . • is strong, yet humble; • expresses genuine concern and interest; • exercises caution to avoid unnecessary risks;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/a-discreet-person-is-strong-yet-humble-expresses-genuine-concern-and/) [Susan C. 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That's why it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-quality-of-everything-we-do-our-physical-actions-our-verbal/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Whatever our hands touch - We leave fingerprints! On walls, on furniture On doorknobs, dishes, books. There's no escape.As we touch we leave our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-our-hands-touch-we-leave-fingerprints-on-walls-on-furniture/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now, again, what the center ground has got to do is to respond to people's genuine concerns and fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/now-again-what-the-center-ground-has-got-to-do-is-to-respond-to/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“I turn around and glare at Dee as he leans over and puts his head between his knees. 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(For) those people who have genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-think-mischievous-people-always-there-some-kind-of-perfect-world/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) [Browse all 32 Genuine concern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-concern/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of shithead the Pentagon had foisted on him.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Heller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern-just-what-sort-of-shithead/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genuine concern" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern-just-what-sort-of-shithead/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/joseph-heller-601_genuine-concern_he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern_3212220.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He began to wonder with genuine concern just what sort of shithead the Pentagon had foisted on him.” — Joseph Heller", "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": "Joseph Heller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He began to wonder with genuine...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern-just-what-sort-of-shithead/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/he-began-to-wonder-with-genuine-concern-just-what-sort-of-shithead/#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 } } ] } ```