--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a…" description: "\"I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. [Using marijuana] made the difference between staying human or, as Michael Douglas said, becoming a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg" --- # I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. \[Using… ![“I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. [Using marijuana] made the difference between staying human or, as Michael Douglas said, becoming a beast.” quote by Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg) > “I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. \[Using marijuana\] made the difference between staying human or, as Michael Douglas said, becoming a beast.” [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marijuana helped the speaker retain humanity amid war’s brutality, preventing dehumanization. **In simple terms:** Drugs can preserve humanity in extreme stress. Key Takeaway Seek healthy coping mechanisms in trauma. Themes war substance use humanity Mood reflective cautious Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - combat - mental health treatment - stress management Key Concepts Film director memoir Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay humane under pressure? - What alternatives support mental health? A Different Perspective Reliance on substances can create dependency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Marijuana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marijuana/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Staying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Using Marijuana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-marijuana-3219784/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Vietnam Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam-long-3491956/) [Weed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weed/) [Went Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-vietnam-1969444/) ## Related quotes > [In my neighborhood - West 121st Street in New York, "white Harlem" - there were only two drugs: smack and marijuana. By the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-my-neighborhood-west-121st-street-in-new-york-white-harlem-there/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I went to Vietnam during the Vietnam War to visit all the troops. We would fly into a hospital and serve mess to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/i-went-to-vietnam-during-the-vietnam-war-to-visit-all-the-troops-we/) [Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/) > [“Richard Nixon was elected president mendaciously promising not victory, but a “secret plan” to bring the war to an “honorable end.” The secret plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bowden/richard-nixon-was-elected-president-mendaciously-promising-not/) [Mark Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bowden/) > [I would absolutely never use the federal government to enforce the law of using marijuana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-would-absolutely-never-use-the-federal-government-to-enforce-the/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [There are many drugs that have many serious side effects and that are harmful to people. Marijuana is no different than that. And especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/there-are-many-drugs-that-have-many-serious-side-effects-and-that-are-2/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [There's a growing trend of older Americans who are using marijuana in their retirement. That makes sense because old people are always talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/there-s-a-growing-trend-of-older-americans-who-are-using-marijuana-in/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [When I went to Vietnam in 1971 with Bob Hope, we went to Da Nang, which was a Marine base. I just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-nabors/when-i-went-to-vietnam-in-1971-with-bob-hope-we-went-to-da-nang-which/) [Jim Nabors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-nabors/) > [I gave up my children to an American couple and went to Vietnam on an army assignment where I helped soldiers identify and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-christo/i-gave-up-my-children-to-an-american-couple-and-went-to-vietnam-on-an/) [Bob Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-christo/) > [I went to Vietnam; it was my first assignment as a reporter for the UPI, and I never could get away from the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-sheehan/i-went-to-vietnam-it-was-my-first-assignment-as-a-reporter-for-the/) [Neil Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-sheehan/) > [I went into Vietnam as a young man like John Wayne, because that's what my grandfather told me to do. But after my four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-went-into-vietnam-as-a-young-man-like-john-wayne-because-that-s/) [Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/) > [I went to Vietnam. When I got back, it wasn't pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-went-to-vietnam-when-i-got-back-it-wasn-t-pretty/) [Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/) > [Hippies started the ecology movement. They combated racism. They liberated sexual stereotypes, encouraged change, individual pride, and self-confidence. They questioned robot materialism. In four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/hippies-started-the-ecology-movement-they-combated-racism-they/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [The whole thing about whether you smoke marijuana or not is so ridiculous. That and whether you protested the Vietnam War. Give me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-whole-thing-about-whether-you-smoke-marijuana-or-not-is-so/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Majored in staying out of Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/majored-in-staying-out-of-vietnam/) [Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/) > [The worst nightmare I ever had about Vietnam was that I had to go back. I woke up in a sweat, in total terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-worst-nightmare-i-ever-had-about-vietnam-was-that-i-had-to-go/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) ## More by Oliver Stone > [“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other religions were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-west-won-the-world-not-by-the-superiority-of-its-ideas-or-values/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I'm a dramatist. Dramatists have a right to look at history and interpret it the way they see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-m-a-dramatist-dramatists-have-a-right-to-look-at-history-and/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Christianity did take a lot of Greek concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/christianity-did-take-a-lot-of-greek-concepts/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I've liked different women at different times in my life. I've been attracted to white women. I've been attracted to black women. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-ve-liked-different-women-at-different-times-in-my-life-i-ve-been/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [By creating false environment of a war on drugs, and cruel and unusual punishment with these crimes, 50% of our U.S. population is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/by-creating-false-environment-of-a-war-on-drugs-and-cruel-and-unusual/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Everyone in the world is impacted by the United States' Big Brother attitude toward the world. We need countries to say no to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/everyone-in-the-world-is-impacted-by-the-united-states-big-brother/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I might as well be myself. Everyone else is taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-might-as-well-be-myself-everyone-else-is-taken/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I didn't like my classmates at Yale. George W.Bush was in my class. I didn't know it then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-didn-t-like-my-classmates-at-yale-george-w-bush-was-in-my-class-i/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [There is this thing about time that you can't see at the time you're at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-is-this-thing-about-time-that-you-can-t-see-at-the-time-you-re/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I'm trying to understand my life. The one that I've experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-m-trying-to-understand-my-life-the-one-that-i-ve-experienced/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Obama is now fighting for his life. He's fighting for a federal government. I believe in a federal government. I hope it sticks around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/obama-is-now-fighting-for-his-life-he-s-fighting-for-a-federal/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Anybody who's been through a divorce will tell you that at one point. they've thought murder. The line between thinking murder and doing murder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/anybody-who-s-been-through-a-divorce-will-tell-you-that-at-one-point/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [The worst nightmare I ever had about Vietnam was that I had to go back. I woke up in a sweat, in total terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-worst-nightmare-i-ever-had-about-vietnam-was-that-i-had-to-go/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [There are a few versions of the Alexander movie on video, only two that matter. One is from 2007, and then the one from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-are-a-few-versions-of-the-alexander-movie-on-video-only-two/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I gave up on America. I read the Times just to find out what they're thinking. I read blogs. I get most of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-gave-up-on-america-i-read-the-times-just-to-find-out-what-they-re/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) [Explore all 207 Oliver Stone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/) [William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. [Using marijuana] made the difference between staying human or, as Michael Douglas said, becoming a beast.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Stone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a-long-time-using-marijuana/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a-long-time-using-marijuana/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f37/oliver-stone-1812_beast_i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a_1185101.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. [Using marijuana] made the difference between staying…” — Oliver Stone", "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": "Oliver Stone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I went to Vietnam, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a-long-time-using-marijuana/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-went-to-vietnam-and-i-was-there-for-a-long-time-using-marijuana/#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 } } ] } ```