--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is getting better, but that won't…" description: "\"Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their advantage to have one.\" — Octavia Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg" --- # Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if… ![“Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their advantage to have one.” quote by Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg) > “Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their advantage to have one.” [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Progress in living standards doesn't guarantee peace; conflict persists when elites find war profitable. **In simple terms:** Peace isn’t automatic with prosperity. Key Takeaway War can be a calculated choice. Themes politics economics conflict human nature power dynamics Mood cautious critical reflective Type political philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - policy negotiations - business strategy meetings - peacebuilding workshops - public discourse analysis Key Concepts elite incentives war economics societal progress Practical Applications - risk assessment for policymakers - ethical guidelines for corporations Questions to Reflect On - What incentives drive leaders toward war despite societal gains? - How can institutions align profit motives with peace? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-people/) [Get better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-better/) [Getting better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-decide/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politicians Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians-business-394900/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stop war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-politicians-394899/) ## Related quotes > [I think you know and I've said it pretty loud and clear that I get along with all politicians. I felt it was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-think-you-know-and-i-ve-said-it-pretty-loud-and-clear-that-i-get/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I have come to believe that politicians are in the business of 'marketing' their product to the public, by exaggerating threats and over-selling government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-kling/i-have-come-to-believe-that-politicians-are-in-the-business-of/) [Arnold Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-kling/) > [World War II has always been of great interest to me. I've known for decades that it was just one more war the politicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/world-war-ii-has-always-been-of-great-interest-to-me-i-ve-known-for/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [ We're running a war by politicians and we're running a war by political correctness as per that question \[with ISIS\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-running-a-war-by-politicians-and-we-re-running-a-war-by/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [When we go to war, our politicians will be guided by our popular will. And if we believe that torture 'got' bin Laden, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/when-we-go-to-war-our-politicians-will-be-guided-by-our-popular-will/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [If we are going to stop wars on this earth, we are going to have to make war on hunger our number one priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-we-are-going-to-stop-wars-on-this-earth-we-are-going-to-have-to/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [War is not the only means to stop war. Men of goodwill, who fully recognize their duties, should be able, with the assistance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-not-the-only-means-to-stop-war-men-of-goodwill-who-fully/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The monk that invented gunpowder did as much to stop war as did all the sermons of his brethren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-monk-that-invented-gunpowder-did-as-much-to-stop-war-as-did-all/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Perhaps you stop the war and the fire is not burning anymore, you can never stop the dying cause the heartache will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perhaps-you-stop-the-war-and-the-fire-is-not-burning-anymore-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know if music has ever achieved anything past appealing to the people that it appeals to. If a song could stop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-know-if-music-has-ever-achieved-anything-past-appealing-to/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“Oh, one of the things that I am most proud of is that people can say, "I am an atheist," in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/oh-one-of-the-things-that-i-am-most-proud-of-is-that-people-can-say-i/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [The Stop The War Coalition is a sort of home to Jew-haters because its hate music about Israel is so catchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-stop-the-war-coalition-is-a-sort-of-home-to-jew-haters-because/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [“A blanket could be used to stop a war, particularly if that war is a Cold War. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-to-stop-a-war-particularly-if-that-war-is-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [No music is going to stop the war. What's going to stop the war is a large amount of body bags, or a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/no-music-is-going-to-stop-the-war-what-s-going-to-stop-the-war-is-a/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [“Whatever your grievances, I'm sure we can address them without resorting to war," persisted Argyle… Nonsense," said the alien. "Do you know how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-resnick/whatever-your-grievances-i-m-sure-we-can-address-them-without/) [Mike Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-resnick/) ## More by Octavia Butler > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I talked to members of my family, and did some personal research that didn't really have anything to do with the time and place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/i-talked-to-members-of-my-family-and-did-some-personal-research-that/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/first-forget-inspiration-habit-is-more-dependable-habit-will-sustain/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Belief initiates and guides action - or it does nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/belief-initiates-and-guides-action-or-it-does-nothing/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Ignorance Protects itself, And protected, Ignorance grows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/ignorance-protects-itself-and-protected-ignorance-grows/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [But my problem with fantasy, and horror, and related genres, is that sometimes the problems are illogical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/but-my-problem-with-fantasy-and-horror-and-related-genres-is-that/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [“In order to rise From its own ashes A phoenix First Must Burn. Earthseed: The Books of the Living Lauren Oya Olamina”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/in-order-to-rise-from-its-own-ashes-a-phoenix-first-must-burn/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I'm a fifty-three-year-old writer who can remember being a ten-year-old writer and who expects someday to be an eighty-year-old writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/i-m-a-fifty-three-year-old-writer-who-can-remember-being-a-ten-year/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I'm me, and I'm here, and I'm writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/i-m-me-and-i-m-here-and-i-m-writing/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Most of what I do is science fiction. Some of the things I do are fantasy. I don't like the labels, they're marketing tools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/most-of-what-i-do-is-science-fiction-some-of-the-things-i-do-are/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn't manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-only-black-people-you-found-were-occasional-characters-or/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [He was like me - a kindred spirit crazy enough to keep on trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/he-was-like-me-a-kindred-spirit-crazy-enough-to-keep-on-trying/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/to-be-led-by-a-fool-is-to-be-led-by-the-opportunists-who-control-the/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Helpless lust and unreasoning anxiety were just part of growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/helpless-lust-and-unreasoning-anxiety-were-just-part-of-growing-up/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Change is the one unavoidable, irresistible, ongoing reality of the universe. To us, that makes it the most powerful reality, and just another word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/change-is-the-one-unavoidable-irresistible-ongoing-reality-of-the/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) [Explore all 79 Octavia Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their advantage to have one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Octavia Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-stop-a-war-if-politicians-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-stop-a-war-if-politicians-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/octavia-butler-8606_advantage_life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-st_20271.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their…” — Octavia Butler", "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": "Octavia Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life is getting better, but that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-stop-a-war-if-politicians-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-stop-a-war-if-politicians-and/#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 } } ] } ```