--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It boils down to this: we should have…" description: "\"It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were none of this magnanimity business in warfa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png" --- # It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug… ![“It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were none of this magnanimity business in warfare, we should never go to war, except for something worth facing certain death for.” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png) > “It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were none of this magnanimity business in warfare, we should never go to war, except for something worth facing certain death for.” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War should be taken seriously, not as a game, and only fought for truly vital causes. **In simple terms:** War is serious, not a sport, and should be fought only for essential reasons. Key Takeaway Reserve war for matters of ultimate importance. Themes war ethics honor Mood philosophical serious Type literary ethical When to use this quote - military decisions - political conflicts - personal convictions Key Concepts just war theory moral courage humanity Questions to Reflect On - What defines a cause worth dying for? - Can war ever be justified? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with realpolitik realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armageddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armageddon/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Certain death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-death/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Magnanimity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnanimity/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) ## Related quotes > [“If there were no magnanimity in war, we'd go to it only when it was worth going to certain death, as now. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-there-were-no-magnanimity-in-war-we-d-go-to-it-only-when-it-was/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“The beauty part of business warfare, unless your business is importing cocaine from Colombia or covering up a nuclear fuel spill in the Midwest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-bing/the-beauty-part-of-business-warfare-unless-your-business-is-importing/) [Stanley Bing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-bing/) > [Foreign nations have begun to include information warfare in their war college curricula with respect to both defensive and offensive applications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-tenet/foreign-nations-have-begun-to-include-information-warfare-in-their/) [George Tenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-tenet/) > [There is such a thing as legitimate warfare: war has its laws; there are things which may fairly be done, and things which may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/there-is-such-a-thing-as-legitimate-warfare-war-has-its-laws-there/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“War is not a polite recreation but the vilest thing in life, and we ought to understand that and not play at war. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/war-is-not-a-polite-recreation-but-the-vilest-thing-in-life-and-we-3/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [War is not courtesy but the most horrible thing in life; and we ought to understand that, and not play at war. We ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/war-is-not-courtesy-but-the-most-horrible-thing-in-life-and-we-ought/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“How goddamn foolish it is, the war. They's no war in the worth that's worth fightin' for. I don't care where it is. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/how-goddamn-foolish-it-is-the-war-they-s-no-war-in-the-worth-that-s/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“I’m suddenly beginning to wonder if all this war is worth it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-meade/i-m-suddenly-beginning-to-wonder-if-all-this-war-is-worth-it/) [Glenn Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-meade/) > [I don't think any war is worth having our soldiers killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lynch/i-don-t-think-any-war-is-worth-having-our-soldiers-killed/) [Jessica Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lynch/) > [War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin, keep out of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/war-is-a-game-that-is-played-with-a-smile-if-you-can-t-smile-grin-if/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Football's a war game without fatal casualties; baseball is a picnic on a huge field, without the food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/football-s-a-war-game-without-fatal-casualties-baseball-is-a-picnic/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [Chess is a more highly symbolic game, but the aggressions are therefore even more frankly represented in the play. It probably began as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-a-menninger/chess-is-a-more-highly-symbolic-game-but-the-aggressions-are/) [Karl A. Menninger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-a-menninger/) > [“war—a game led by madmen to steal civil and political rights of the innocent. There is no honour in killing your own people. Tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-a-game-led-by-madmen-to-steal-civil-and-political-rights-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I really do think that if for one week in the United States we saw the true face of war, we saw people's limbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/i-really-do-think-that-if-for-one-week-in-the-united-states-we-saw/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [“Dalinar forced himself to be calm. "Roion, we cannot continue to treat this war as a game." "All wars are games. The greatest kind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/dalinar-forced-himself-to-be-calm-roion-we-cannot-continue-to-treat/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. Selfish, vain, stupid, trivial in everything—that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-only-knew-what-those-society-women-are-and-women-in-general-my/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To speak of it would be giving importance to that which has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-speak-of-it-would-be-giving-importance-to-that-which-has-none/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/once-we-re-thrown-off-our-habitual-paths-we-think-all-is-lost-but-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He knew she was there by the rapture and the terror that seized on his heart. She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Armageddon quotes > [“Gregory writes of Armageddon as if the Devil is getting off on using him literally to write that iniquitous beast into existence, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/gregory-writes-of-armageddon-as-if-the-devil-is-getting-off-on-using/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [When Paris Hilton can top the bestsellers' lists, we are one more Connect Four move closer to Armageddon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/when-paris-hilton-can-top-the-bestsellers-lists-we-are-one-more/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [“Oh, one more thing,' Thor calls out. 'If I know my prophecy, and I do, you beautiful ladies had best start looking for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keidl/oh-one-more-thing-thor-calls-out-if-i-know-my-prophecy-and-i-do-you/) [Daniel Keidl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keidl/) > [“You are one of the unfortunate ones whose body decays rapidly in the face of radiation poisoning. You hang your head over the toilet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-lauer/you-are-one-of-the-unfortunate-ones-whose-body-decays-rapidly-in-the/) [A.J. Lauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-lauer/) > [Armageddon is not around the corner. This is only what the people of violence want us to believe. The complexity and diversity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/armageddon-is-not-around-the-corner-this-is-only-what-the-people-of/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [“But that's how it goes; you think you're on top of the world, and suddenly they spring Armageddon on you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/but-that-s-how-it-goes-you-think-you-re-on-top-of-the-world-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Deciding to spit in the eye of every homely matron who ever warned her children not to stare into the sun directly, you crank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keidl/deciding-to-spit-in-the-eye-of-every-homely-matron-who-ever-warned/) [Daniel Keidl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keidl/) > [I have no belief in The Bible or religion, but I think Armageddon was a lucky guess. I honestly think it's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-have-no-belief-in-the-bible-or-religion-but-i-think-armageddon-was/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [“The front edge of the shockwave impacts the earth and you’re both shoved to your backs against the crumbling asphalt of the parking lot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keidl/the-front-edge-of-the-shockwave-impacts-the-earth-and-you-re-both/) [Daniel Keidl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keidl/) > [No where else in Christianity does the terrible or heroic name of Armageddon play such role as in America. Not even in the Revelation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rgen-moltmann/no-where-else-in-christianity-does-the-terrible-or-heroic-name-of/) [Jürgen Moltmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-rgen-moltmann/) > [We will have to wait a little longer to see if Armageddon has arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/we-will-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-to-see-if-armageddon-has-arrived/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Also, we will make promise. So long as The Blood endures, I shall know that your good is mine: ye shall feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/also-we-will-make-promise-so-long-as-the-blood-endures-i-shall-know/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Call me a flaming radical burning for attention, but my real intention is to spark a discussion of how we can peacefully transform our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-change/call-me-a-flaming-radical-burning-for-attention-but-my-real-intention/) Kathy Change > [If having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn't bad enough, religious folks are getting in on the act as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-having-scientists-warning-us-about-the-end-of-the-world-isn-t-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consider that the overwhelming majority of those 40,000 near-Earth asteroids are small enough to fit on the parking lot at the mall. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/consider-that-the-overwhelming-majority-of-those-40-000-near-earth/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Browse all 153 Armageddon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armageddon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were none of this magnanimity business in warfare, we should never go to war, except for something worth facing certain death for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Tolstoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Armageddon" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/leo-tolstoy-55_armageddon_it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-don_233946.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were…” — Leo Tolstoy", "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": "Leo Tolstoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It boils down to this: we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/#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 } } ] } ```