--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I lived through the Cold War as a child…" description: "\"I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. On one hand, it created an atmosph..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/louie-psihoyos-32532_atmosphere_i-lived-through-the-cold-war-as-a-child_2512971.jpg" --- # I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always… ![“I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. On one hand, it created an atmosphere where you lived for the moment - because it could end at any second - but on the other, it warped a generation into thinking t there was no…” quote by Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/louie-psihoyos-32532_atmosphere_i-lived-through-the-cold-war-as-a-child_2512971.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/louie-psihoyos-32532_atmosphere_i-lived-through-the-cold-war-as-a-child_2512971.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/louie-psihoyos-32532_atmosphere_i-lived-through-the-cold-war-as-a-child_2512971.jpg) > “I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. On one hand, it created an atmosphere where you lived for the moment - because it could end at any second - but on the other, it warped a generation into thinking t there was no reasonable expectation of building a future that could be vaporized at any moment by a few morons.” [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living under nuclear threat made people cherish present moments but also fostered fatalistic hopelessness about the future. **In simple terms:** Cold War fear forced focus on now and doubt about building lasting future. Key Takeaway Balance present joy with hopeful planning. Themes fear present future hope nihilism Mood anxious reflective Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision - career planning - community resilience - mental health coping Key Concepts existential risk psychology of threat generational trauma Questions to Reflect On - How did you find hope amid fear? - What actions can counteract fatalism? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize all Cold War youth experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Nuclear bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-bomb/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The sheer folly of trying to defend a nation by destroying all life on the planet must be apparent to anyone capable of rational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-noor-of-jordan/the-sheer-folly-of-trying-to-defend-a-nation-by-destroying-all-life/) [Queen Noor of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-noor-of-jordan/) > [I've always thought of nuclear as something that's good for the environment. I worry about my polar bears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-dewan/i-ve-always-thought-of-nuclear-as-something-that-s-good-for-the/) [Leslie Dewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-dewan/) > [The threat of mutually assured destruction worked for the United States during the Cold War because it had proved its willingness to drop nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-threat-of-mutually-assured-destruction-worked-for-the-united/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Nuclear bombs have made mass murder a reality. Nuclear bombs threaten humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lown/nuclear-bombs-have-made-mass-murder-a-reality-nuclear-bombs-threaten/) [Bernard Lown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lown/) > [ The issue has two dimensions. One is the legal dimension and the other one is the issue at the realpolitik. \[In the\] legal realm,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akbar-ganji/the-issue-has-two-dimensions-one-is-the-legal-dimension-and-the-other/) [Akbar Ganji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akbar-ganji/) > [“Whoever is planning a nuclear war or seriously thinking about using nuclear weapons must directly be taken to a mental hospital! Mad people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whoever-is-planning-a-nuclear-war-or-seriously-thinking-about-using/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“By the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Eisenhower’s test ban had failed, and the United States and the Soviet Union had both returned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/by-the-time-of-the-cuban-missile-crisis-eisenhower-s-test-ban-had/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The constitution has broken down. We have no enemies except the ones we select and direct towards the nearest nuclear bombs. They need an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-constitution-has-broken-down-we-have-no-enemies-except-the-ones/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [There's people out there with nuclear bombs and yet we've got all these politicians trying to make a political platform based on a record.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/there-s-people-out-there-with-nuclear-bombs-and-yet-we-ve-got-all/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/we-knew-the-world-would-not-be-the-same-a-few-people-laughed-a-few/) [J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/) > [“Jeff sighed. “Henry. You know as well as I do that any one of us could do a great deal of damage if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/jeff-sighed-henry-you-know-as-well-as-i-do-that-any-one-of-us-could/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“In years to come, people may say that the most powerful weapon in this period of the twenty-first century was not sarin gas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/in-years-to-come-people-may-say-that-the-most-powerful-weapon-in-this/) [Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/) > [“The second tunnel’s a Ministry of Defence tunnel...dug for a nuclear bomb shelter. The entrance is in the garden center at Woolworth’s in Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/the-second-tunnel-s-a-ministry-of-defence-tunnel-dug-for-a-nuclear/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) ## More by Louie Psihoyos > [The single most impactful thing you can do today is adopt a more plant-based diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/the-single-most-impactful-thing-you-can-do-today-is-adopt-a-more/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Change doesn't need to be overwhelming; it is not impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/change-doesn-t-need-to-be-overwhelming-it-is-not-impossible/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Humanity is creating an extinction event that will make every war ever fought a footnote to history. We belong to the only generation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/humanity-is-creating-an-extinction-event-that-will-make-every-war/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [The action we take in the next few years will impact the Earth hundreds of millions of years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/the-action-we-take-in-the-next-few-years-will-impact-the-earth/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [A vegetarian driving a Hummer emits less carbon than a meat eater on a bicycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/a-vegetarian-driving-a-hummer-emits-less-carbon-than-a-meat-eater-on/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [At the end of the century, humans will look back at our impact on the planet and World War II will be a footnote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/at-the-end-of-the-century-humans-will-look-back-at-our-impact-on-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Cowspiracy may be the most important film made to inspire saving the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/cowspiracy-may-be-the-most-important-film-made-to-inspire-saving-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Our planet is currently undergoing a mass extinction of species called the Anthropocene - the Age of Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/our-planet-is-currently-undergoing-a-mass-extinction-of-species/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [What gives me hope is art - it's the most powerful weapons ever created. It's a weapon of mass construction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/what-gives-me-hope-is-art-it-s-the-most-powerful-weapons-ever-created/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Half of all species on Earth could disappear by the end of the century because of our collective impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/half-of-all-species-on-earth-could-disappear-by-the-end-of-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [To me, you’re either an activist or an inactivist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/to-me-you-re-either-an-activist-or-an-inactivist/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [If you can reach just 10 percent of the population, you can begin to reach a tipping point; that's where true social movements take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/if-you-can-reach-just-10-percent-of-the-population-you-can-begin-to/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [I want to do the most subversive thing I couldn't do as a child: I want to take back the planet's future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/i-want-to-do-the-most-subversive-thing-i-couldn-t-do-as-a-child-i/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Yes, we need to change, but simple changes can have profound impacts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/yes-we-need-to-change-but-simple-changes-can-have-profound-impacts/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) [Explore all 15 Louie Psihoyos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) ## More Atmosphere quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Man will not always stay on Earth; the pursuit of light and space will lead him to penetrate the bounds of the atmosphere, timidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/man-will-not-always-stay-on-earth-the-pursuit-of-light-and-space-will/) [Konstantin Tsiolkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/) > [Pause before you get home and prepare your heart. A peaceful heart leads to a peaceful atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-burns/pause-before-you-get-home-and-prepare-your-heart-a-peaceful-heart/) [Jim Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-burns/) > [Sometimes a minute is really the difference between success and failure. There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“Atmosphere" is a massive song. A lot of people say it's their favorite Joy Division song, but it's not mine; it reminds me too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hook/atmosphere-is-a-massive-song-a-lot-of-people-say-it-s-their-favorite/) [Peter Hook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hook/) > [Establish an atmosphere that energizes you. Some creative people flourish in confusion; others need to be free from interruption. Many prepare themselves for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/establish-an-atmosphere-that-energizes-you-some-creative-people/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) > [Each year we pump at least six billion tons of heat-trapping carbon into the innermost layer of our atmosphere, whose outer extent is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-gelbspan/each-year-we-pump-at-least-six-billion-tons-of-heat-trapping-carbon/) [Ross Gelbspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-gelbspan/) > [It was clear to me that the White House's solemn atmosphere would not civilize Trump. But the merciless nepotism with which he conducts politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/it-was-clear-to-me-that-the-white-house-s-solemn-atmosphere-would-not/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [“Bjerknes had come up with equations capable of describing the behavior of the atmosphere. The state of the atmosphere at any point could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullen/bjerknes-had-come-up-with-equations-capable-of-describing-the/) [Heidi Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullen/) > [What one thing does the world need most today-apart, that is, from the all-inclusive thing we call righteousness? Aren't you inclined to agree that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/what-one-thing-does-the-world-need-most-today-apart-that-is-from-the/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [ Jowett, in his day, did probably more than any other single man to let some fresh air into the exhausted atmosphere of the \[Oxford\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-jowett/jowett-in-his-day-did-probably-more-than-any-other-single-man-to-let/) [Benjamin Jowett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-jowett/) Browse all 1,572 Atmosphere quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. 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