--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is, at first, the hope that one will…" description: "\"War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png" --- # War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off… ![“War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off.” quote by Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png) > “War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off.” [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War progresses from hopeful optimism to mutual resentment, ending in universal disappointment, highlighting the cyclical futility of conflict. **In simple terms:** War starts hopeful, ends with everyone worse off. Key Takeaway Recognize war’s destructive cycle early. Themes war human nature disillusionment Mood cynical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - military strategy - diplomacy - public policy Key Concepts political science ethics history Questions to Reflect On - How does hope turn into hostility? - Can societies break this cycle? A Different Perspective Optimism may ignore early warning signs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“We jumped for joy. After the awful events of yesterday, finally something good happens and brings us...hope! Hope for an end to the war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/we-jumped-for-joy-after-the-awful-events-of-yesterday-finally/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [My views and feelings (are) in favor of the abolition of war-and I hope it is practicable, by improving the mind and morals of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/my-views-and-feelings-are-in-favor-of-the-abolition-of-war-and-i-hope/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There are some patriotic citizens who sincerely hope that America will win the war - but they also hope that Russia will lose it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/there-are-some-patriotic-citizens-who-sincerely-hope-that-america/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [Betsy. The great war is on but I hope ours is over. Please come home. Joe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maud-hart-lovelace/betsy-the-great-war-is-on-but-i-hope-ours-is-over-please-come-home-joe/) [Maud Hart Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maud-hart-lovelace/) > [“We live in hope that the good we do here on earth will be rewarded in heaven. We also hope to win the war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/we-live-in-hope-that-the-good-we-do-here-on-earth-will-be-rewarded-in/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus: We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-leduff/speramus-meliora-resurget-cineribus-we-hope-for-better-things-it/) [Charlie LeDuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-leduff/) > [“There is always that one spark that gives hope for better things when life is bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurann-dohner/there-is-always-that-one-spark-that-gives-hope-for-better-things-when/) [Laurann Dohner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurann-dohner/) > [It has been said that Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. That may be true, however I will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/it-has-been-said-that-today-is-the-first-day-of-the-rest-of-our-lives/) [David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/) > [My pain is constant and sharp, and I do not hope for a better world for anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/my-pain-is-constant-and-sharp-and-i-do-not-hope-for-a-better-world/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I hope I haven't maxed out, because I'm not satisfied. I hope I can be a better ball player, and I hope I'm on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rolen/i-hope-i-haven-t-maxed-out-because-i-m-not-satisfied-i-hope-i-can-be/) [Scott Rolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rolen/) > [Insecurity and resignation mingle with the hope for a better order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-heinemann/insecurity-and-resignation-mingle-with-the-hope-for-a-better-order/) [Gustav Heinemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-heinemann/) > [“It's not stupid. I guess havin' hope is better that givin' up and thinking life will such forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/it-s-not-stupid-i-guess-havin-hope-is-better-that-givin-up-and/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/as-i-lay-dying/we-are-not-the-same-as-i-hope-to-show-there-is-a-better-way-if-we/) As I Lay Dying > [I hope to become a better teacher. I love teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/i-hope-to-become-a-better-teacher-i-love-teaching/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More by Karl Kraus > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I don't like to meddle in my private affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-don-t-like-to-meddle-in-my-private-affairs/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [When a man is treated like a beast, he says, 'After all, I'm human.' When he behaves like a beast, he says 'After all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/when-a-man-is-treated-like-a-beast-he-says-after-all-i-m-human-when/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [They judge lest they be judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/they-judge-lest-they-be-judged/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I and my public understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don't say what it wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-and-my-public-understand-each-other-very-well-it-does-not-hear-what/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Satire that the censor understands is rightly censored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/satire-that-the-censor-understands-is-rightly-censored/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Hate must make a man productive. Otherwise one might as well love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/hate-must-make-a-man-productive-otherwise-one-might-as-well-love/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [One must read all writers twice--the good as well as the bad. The one kind will be recognized; the other, unmasked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/one-must-read-all-writers-twice-the-good-as-well-as-the-bad-the-one/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Children today laugh at fathers who tell them about dragons. It is necessary to make fear a required subject; otherwise children will never learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/children-today-laugh-at-fathers-who-tell-them-about-dragons-it-is/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The little stations are very proud because the expresses have to pass them by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-little-stations-are-very-proud-because-the-expresses-have-to-pass/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The unattractive thing about chauvinism is not so much the aversion to other nations as the love of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-unattractive-thing-about-chauvinism-is-not-so-much-the-aversion/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I have often been asked to be fair and view a matter from all sides. I did so, hoping that something might improve if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-have-often-been-asked-to-be-fair-and-view-a-matter-from-all-sides-i/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [In the theater one must sit in such a way that one sees the audience as a dark mass. Then it cannot bother one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/in-the-theater-one-must-sit-in-such-a-way-that-one-sees-the-audience/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Many desire to kill me, and many wish to spend an hour chatting with me. The law protects me from the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/many-desire-to-kill-me-and-many-wish-to-spend-an-hour-chatting-with/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) [Explore all 275 Karl Kraus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) ## More Expectation quotes > [Keeping up with everybody's expectation is soooo hard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi/keeping-up-with-everybody-s-expectation-is-soooo-hard/) [Naomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi/) > [The night is saturated with inspiration¦ I cant imagine wasting a minute of it with my eyes or ears closed. I live dreams, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-timbre/the-night-is-saturated-with-inspiration-i-cant-imagine-wasting-a/) [Jamie Timbre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-timbre/) > [Representing the Selecao is a very great expectation, being able to play is even greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/representing-the-selecao-is-a-very-great-expectation-being-able-to/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [Never depend on anyone else's strength but God's strength to help you through and nor expect from anyone except God to be with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/never-depend-on-anyone-else-s-strength-but-god-s-strength-to-help-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing, through the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/uncertainty-and-expectation-are-the-joys-of-life-security-is-an/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“Expectation and fact are two different things that people usually cannot differentiate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/expectation-and-fact-are-two-different-things-that-people-usually/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) > [Treat the people the way you expect them to treat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishchal-ningleku/treat-the-people-the-way-you-expect-them-to-treat-you/) [Nishchal Ningleku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishchal-ningleku/) > [“It felt civilised and modern. It felt refined and tantalising, all at once, like a polite collective pre-orgasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/it-felt-civilised-and-modern-it-felt-refined-and-tantalising-all-at/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [“I have every expectation that we will see the following become a recognized human disease in the future: Metal Sickness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-have-every-expectation-that-we-will-see-the-following-become-a/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Any reasonable ruler would have the expectation and the demand the other way round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/any-reasonable-ruler-would-have-the-expectation-and-the-demand-the/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Never expect naything from any body because human brain changes when the status changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-expect-naything-from-any-body-because-human-brain-changes-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Aspiration and expectation are two eternal life devil mangrieving Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/aspiration-and-expectation-are-two-eternal-life-devil-mangrieving/) Mak\_786 > [We part more easily with what we possess, than with our expectations of what we wish for; because expectation always goes beyond enjoyment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-home-lord-kames/we-part-more-easily-with-what-we-possess-than-with-our-expectations/) [Henry Home, Lord Kames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-home-lord-kames/) > [“Clients don't pay you to try. Their least expectation is to at least get from you value for their money. However, your aim should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-amanyire/clients-don-t-pay-you-to-try-their-least-expectation-is-to-at-least/) Allan Amanyire Browse all 759 Expectation quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Kraus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-be-better-off-next-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expectation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-be-better-off-next-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/521/karl-kraus-1128_expectation_war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-b_801347.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be…” — Karl Kraus", "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": "Karl Kraus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "War is, at first, the hope...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-be-better-off-next-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/war-is-at-first-the-hope-that-one-will-be-better-off-next-the/#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 } } ] } ```