--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow." description: "\"War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.\" — Martin Luther King, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png" --- # War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow. ![“War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png) > “War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is an ineffective tool for shaping the future. **In simple terms:** War fails to build tomorrow. Key Takeaway Seek peaceful solutions. Themes war future ineffectiveness Mood determined hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - policy debate - community activism - education - diplomacy Key Concepts conflict resolution political strategy Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to war can address current conflicts? - How can societies prioritize long‑term peace? A Different Perspective Peace processes can be slow and complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carve Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carve-tomorrow-5346407/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Chisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-chisel-5346408/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-poor-455640/) ## Related quotes > [When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/when-the-rich-wage-war-it-s-the-poor-who-die/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [ When the rich \[and politically powerful\] make war, it's the poor \[and politically weak\] who die. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/when-the-rich-and-politically-powerful-make-war-it-s-the-poor-and/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [A rich man's war and a poor man's fight...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-rich-man-s-war-and-a-poor-man-s-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/terrorism-is-the-war-of-the-poor-and-war-is-the-terrorism-of-the-rich/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) > [I’m concerned about the fact there seems to be a war on the poor - that if you’re poor, somehow you’re shiftless and lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-m-concerned-about-the-fact-there-seems-to-be-a-war-on-the-poor-that/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [When the rich wage war, it's the poor who fight and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/when-the-rich-wage-war-it-s-the-poor-who-fight-and-die/) [Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/) > [What we have in Colombia is a war against the poor and the guerillas from the left side are against the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/what-we-have-in-colombia-is-a-war-against-the-poor-and-the-guerillas/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) > [When the rich rage war it is the poor who die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/when-the-rich-rage-war-it-is-the-poor-who-die/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [Of course people don't want war. Why should a poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-people-don-t-want-war-why-should-a-poor-slob-on-a-farm-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the rich wage war, its the poor who die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/when-the-rich-wage-war-its-the-poor-who-die/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [“For no amount of our screaming at the people in charge to change things can change them... the powers bent on waging war against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-no-amount-of-our-screaming-at-the-people-in-charge-to-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I lived in a little working-class town that had no black neighborhoods at all - one high school. We all played together. Everybody was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-lived-in-a-little-working-class-town-that-had-no-black/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Riot gear, the slaves are here. Piling corpses high. Its the rich man's war but its the poor that fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otep/riot-gear-the-slaves-are-here-piling-corpses-high-its-the-rich-man-s/) [Otep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otep/) > [“Saved from war by poor navigation?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/saved-from-war-by-poor-navigation/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Peace quotes > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) [W.J. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-j-turner/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Achieving mental harmony is one of the greatest goals and experiences in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kambiz-mostofizadeh/achieving-mental-harmony-is-one-of-the-greatest-goals-and-experiences/) [Kambiz Mostofizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kambiz-mostofizadeh/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,655 Peace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorrow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Peace" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorrow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c2/martin-luther-king-jr-127_peace_war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorr_2284891.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow.” — Martin Luther King, Jr", "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": "Martin Luther King, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "War is a poor chisel to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorrow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/war-is-a-poor-chisel-to-carve-out-tomorrow/#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 } } ] } ```