--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to admit that the empty prestige…" description: "\"I have to admit that the empty prestige and the stupid glory - yes, the horrible rush, the deadly sense of importance that war brings to life - are har..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/michael-hastings-6810_admit_i-have-to-admit-that-the-empty-prestige_687666.png" --- # I have to admit that the empty prestige and the stupid… ![“I have to admit that the empty prestige and the stupid glory - yes, the horrible rush, the deadly sense of importance that war brings to life - are hard illusions to shake off. Look at me, a war correspondent.” quote by Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/michael-hastings-6810_admit_i-have-to-admit-that-the-empty-prestige_687666.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/michael-hastings-6810_admit_i-have-to-admit-that-the-empty-prestige_687666.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/michael-hastings-6810_admit_i-have-to-admit-that-the-empty-prestige_687666.png) > “I have to admit that the empty prestige and the stupid glory - yes, the horrible rush, the deadly sense of importance that war brings to life - are hard illusions to shake off. Look at me, a war correspondent.” [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War creates intoxicating but false senses of importance, making it hard for correspondents to detach. **In simple terms:** War feels important but is illusionary. Key Takeaway Recognize and question the allure of war. Themes war psychology illusion Mood reflective somber Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - conflict zones - journalistic work - personal reflection - mental health Key Concepts heroic narrative identity crisis Questions to Reflect On - How does the allure of war affect your reporting? - What steps can help separate personal ego from professional duty? A Different Perspective Not all war experiences are glorified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Prestige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prestige/) [Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rush/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [On the flip side, I enjoy covering the Arab world, I've spent my entire career here in the Middle East, but I would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-shadid/on-the-flip-side-i-enjoy-covering-the-arab-world-i-ve-spent-my-entire/) [Anthony Shadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-shadid/) > [I don't like the definition 'war correspondent'. It is history, not journalism, that has condemned the Middle East to war. I think 'war correspondent'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/i-don-t-like-the-definition-war-correspondent-it-is-history-not/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [I was a war correspondent in Korea. I did a book on it: 'This is War.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-douglas-duncan/i-was-a-war-correspondent-in-korea-i-did-a-book-on-it-this-is-war/) [David Douglas Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-douglas-duncan/) > [It wasn't something I started off in my teens or early twenties thinking I want to be a war correspondent. I still don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-farrell/it-wasn-t-something-i-started-off-in-my-teens-or-early-twenties/) Stephen Farrell > [ My role \[as a war correspondent\] is to bring a voice to people who are voiceless \[and\] to shine a light in the darkest… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/my-role-as-a-war-correspondent-is-to-bring-a-voice-to-people-who-are/) [Janine di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/) > [When you're a war correspondent, the reader is for you because the reader is saying, 'Gee, I wouldn't want to be doing that.' They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/when-you-re-a-war-correspondent-the-reader-is-for-you-because-the/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I would say that the war correspondent gets more drinks, more girls, better pay, and greater freedom than the soldier, but at this stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-capa/i-would-say-that-the-war-correspondent-gets-more-drinks-more-girls/) [Robert Capa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-capa/) > [“Supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/supreme-importance-in-war-is-to-attack-the-enemy-s-strategy/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/thus-what-is-of-supreme-importance-in-war-is-to-attack-the-enemy-s/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/what-is-of-supreme-importance-in-war-is-to-attack-the-enemy-s-strategy/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed: One cannot afford to neglect opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/what-is-of-the-greatest-importance-in-war-is-extraordinary-speed-one/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The first time I met President Obama was 2006 in Baghdad. He was the senator from Illinois; it was a month before he actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-first-time-i-met-president-obama-was-2006-in-baghdad-he-was-the/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/war-alone-brings-up-to-their-highest-tension-all-human-energies-and/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [I hate the way war is seen as something inherently brutal and ugly. Yes, much of war brings out the worst part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-hate-the-way-war-is-seen-as-something-inherently-brutal-and-ugly/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Chaos is hateful. That indeterminate nature of war brings a really unsettling atmosphere to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/chaos-is-hateful-that-indeterminate-nature-of-war-brings-a-really/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) ## More by Michael Hastings > [I have a deep-seated skepticism about the morality of violence. Violence is almost always morally corrosive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-have-a-deep-seated-skepticism-about-the-morality-of-violence/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The humanitarian argument is so selective I find it difficult to swallow. It's not even so much about the choice as to where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-humanitarian-argument-is-so-selective-i-find-it-difficult-to/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If Bill O'Reilly is calling you a far-left critic, in my book, no matter what your political persuasion is, that's probably - that probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-bill-o-reilly-is-calling-you-a-far-left-critic-in-my-book-no/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [I'm post-cynical on this stuff. I look at the El Salvador model as the glory days: Why don't we just fund the death squads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-m-post-cynical-on-this-stuff-i-look-at-the-el-salvador-model-as-the/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Whether or not Afghanistan would be a peaceful nation-state had we not gone into Iraq I doubt. 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So the question is, why are these people who are there to train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/one-of-their-major-initiatives-was-getting-all-officers-on-facebook/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [It was interesting watching the Afghanistan war review deliberations, this three-month process where Barack Obama did the most thorough foreign policy review ever by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/it-was-interesting-watching-the-afghanistan-war-review-deliberations/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/inside-the-white-house-there-were-always-extreme-amounts-of-doubt/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The State Department is essentially... I was going to use the word useless. But I don't know if that's correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-state-department-is-essentially-i-was-going-to-use-the-word/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If someone tells you something is off the record, I don't print it. If they don't tell me something is off the record, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-someone-tells-you-something-is-off-the-record-i-don-t-print-it-if/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If you polled the military in Afghanistan as to how many think we should be there or not, the numbers would probably be similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-you-polled-the-military-in-afghanistan-as-to-how-many-think-we/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Afghanistan would have been difficult enough without Iraq. Iraq made it impossible. The argument that had we just focused on Afghanistan we'd now be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/afghanistan-would-have-been-difficult-enough-without-iraq-iraq-made/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [“Her name has been released to the press. Her photograph is released, too. I want to talk to the press about it. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/her-name-has-been-released-to-the-press-her-photograph-is-released/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The frightening aspect is that it's part of a larger effort from the Pentagon to tear down the wall between public affairs and propaganda,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-frightening-aspect-is-that-it-s-part-of-a-larger-effort-from-the/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [An information operations team was sent to Afghanistan to conduct various psychological operations on the Afghans and Taliban. The team was then asked not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/an-information-operations-team-was-sent-to-afghanistan-to-conduct/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) [Explore all 97 Michael Hastings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) ## More Admit quotes > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [I am not perfect by any means and ill be the first to admit I make plenty of mistakes but I wont make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-perfect-by-any-means-and-ill-be-the-first-to-admit-i-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think it takes a lot for you to admit you made a mistake and correct it right away, especially on live television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pia-wurtzbach/i-think-it-takes-a-lot-for-you-to-admit-you-made-a-mistake-and/) [Pia Wurtzbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pia-wurtzbach/) > [I'll admit a little something: If I go to one of those hotels where there's, like, a $50 omelet, I'm taking the silverware home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-olyphant/i-ll-admit-a-little-something-if-i-go-to-one-of-those-hotels-where/) [Timothy Olyphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-olyphant/) > [Most celebrities are not going to admit they had work done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nassif/most-celebrities-are-not-going-to-admit-they-had-work-done/) [Paul Nassif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nassif/) > [If you're in rock 'n' roll, you're not supposed to admit to liking theatre stuff, but I'm a big theatregoer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/if-you-re-in-rock-n-roll-you-re-not-supposed-to-admit-to-liking/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/no-one-likes-to-admit-they-are-racist-or-bear-prejudices-nor-do-they/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [I love you. But I have no right to admit it to myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-snyder/i-love-you-but-i-have-no-right-to-admit-it-to-myself/) Brittany\_Snyder > [There is something in me-I just can't stand to admit defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/there-is-something-in-me-i-just-can-t-stand-to-admit-defeat/) [Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/) > [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [My first exposure to sanitation issues occurred when I got admission into an engineering college. 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