--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If words can be lethal weapons, I must…" description: "\"If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with an arsenal.\" — Orson Scott Card" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png" --- # If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with… ![“If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with an arsenal.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png) > “If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with an arsenal.” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words can be powerful; to wield them responsibly, one must equip them with purpose and ethical intent. **In simple terms:** Words are weapons; equip them wisely. Key Takeaway Use language responsibly and purposefully. Themes communication ethics power responsibility Mood cautious inspirational Type literary ethical When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - debates - media campaigns Key Concepts rhetoric moral philosophy literature Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your words empower? - What safeguards prevent harmful rhetoric? A Different Perspective Power can be misused despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lethal weapon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lethal-weapon/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) ## Related quotes > [Today, people are talking about many things: the danger of war and frequent clashes, water and air pollution, hunger, the increasing erosion of moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fethullah-gulen/today-people-are-talking-about-many-things-the-danger-of-war-and/) [Fethullah Gulen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fethullah-gulen/) > [Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/intelligence-gathered-by-this-and-other-governments-leaves-no-doubt/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Culture and education are the lethal weapons against all kinds of fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/culture-and-education-are-the-lethal-weapons-against-all-kinds-of/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Never underestimate the power of words, for they can be more lethal than a shot gun or more healing than a mother's kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-underestimate-the-power-of-words-for-they-can-be-more-lethal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Cyber weapons provide the tantalising possibility of being able to cripple the enemy without inflicting lasting damage on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/cyber-weapons-provide-the-tantalising-possibility-of-being-able-to/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/families-survive-the-terrible-twos-because-toddlers-aren-t-strong/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Power doesn't corrupt. It's neutral. Someone always wants to corrupt power. It's the way a shotgun is not a deadly weapon until someone chooses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ditko/power-doesn-t-corrupt-it-s-neutral-someone-always-wants-to-corrupt/) Steve Ditko > [“Genuine political resistance, to be effective, has to be more creative than simply using lethal weapons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-cobb-jr/genuine-political-resistance-to-be-effective-has-to-be-more-creative/) Charles E. Cobb Jr > [ “\[W\]hile the use of non-lethal weapons such as tasers and LEDIs may not necessarily reduce the number of civilian casualties, they have been largely… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-whitehead/w-hile-the-use-of-non-lethal-weapons-such-as-tasers-and-ledis-may-not/) [John W. Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-whitehead/) > [“Now those are lethal weapons." He stroked her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. "My heart stops every time you kiss me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-hubbard/now-those-are-lethal-weapons-he-stroked-her-lower-lip-with-the-pad-of/) Crystal Hubbard > [Lethal weapons on ducattis, I got on my danny glovers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-dro/lethal-weapons-on-ducattis-i-got-on-my-danny-glovers/) [Young Dro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-dro/) > [“They’d found both, and brought back a variety of non-lethal weapons.  He snorted at the oxymoron.  How could a weapon be non-lethal?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/they-d-found-both-and-brought-back-a-variety-of-non-lethal-weapons-he/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [Knowledge, information, wit, and the way you disseminate these attributes can often prove to be a more disarming weapon against an enemy or some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/knowledge-information-wit-and-the-way-you-disseminate-these/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [“She arched a brow at the clinking sound the coat had made. “Just out of curiosity, how many weapons are in that thing?” “Enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-arched-a-brow-at-the-clinking-sound-the-coat-had-made-just-out-of/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“I sit here with you now with one sure answer. Love is the most potent bond, the most elaborate trap, the most irresistible object,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suenammi-richards/i-sit-here-with-you-now-with-one-sure-answer-love-is-the-most-potent/) [Suenammi Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suenammi-richards/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I don't know of a soul who doesn't maintain two separate lists of doctrines - the ones they believe they believe; and the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-doesn-t-maintain-two-separate-lists-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Lethal weapon quotes > [Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/families-survive-the-terrible-twos-because-toddlers-aren-t-strong/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“I sit here with you now with one sure answer. Love is the most potent bond, the most elaborate trap, the most irresistible object,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suenammi-richards/i-sit-here-with-you-now-with-one-sure-answer-love-is-the-most-potent/) [Suenammi Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suenammi-richards/) > [Power doesn't corrupt. It's neutral. Someone always wants to corrupt power. It's the way a shotgun is not a deadly weapon until someone chooses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ditko/power-doesn-t-corrupt-it-s-neutral-someone-always-wants-to-corrupt/) Steve Ditko > [“She arched a brow at the clinking sound the coat had made. “Just out of curiosity, how many weapons are in that thing?” “Enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-arched-a-brow-at-the-clinking-sound-the-coat-had-made-just-out-of/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [An emotion that lives with me is a sense of 'what might have been' had injuries not robbed me of my most lethal weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/an-emotion-that-lives-with-me-is-a-sense-of-what-might-have-been-had/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [“Damn, a mirror can be a lethal weapon, and self-knowledge a poisoned pill. I had been a self-centered and egotistical jock with all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-levine/damn-a-mirror-can-be-a-lethal-weapon-and-self-knowledge-a-poisoned/) [Paul Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-levine/) > [What kind of a man thinks it's appropriate to give his soon-to-be bride a lethal weapon for a wedding present?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-laurie/what-kind-of-a-man-thinks-it-s-appropriate-to-give-his-soon-to-be/) [Victoria Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-laurie/) > [To me, in a perfect world, you have the flavor and the magic of movies like 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/to-me-in-a-perfect-world-you-have-the-flavor-and-the-magic-of-movies/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/intelligence-gathered-by-this-and-other-governments-leaves-no-doubt/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [ We all grew up in that era. I'm a little younger than these guys \[Will Forte and John Solomon\], but I would say all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-forte/we-all-grew-up-in-that-era-i-m-a-little-younger-than-these-guys-will/) [Will Forte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-forte/) > [So is there any part of you that’s not a lethal weapon? (Kiara) No. Even my wits are sharpened. (Nykyrian)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/so-is-there-any-part-of-you-that-s-not-a-lethal-weapon-kiara-no-even/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Nick observed the flicker of appreciation in her brown eyes. He wasn’t particularly surprised. She was just the type to like them tall, dark,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/nick-observed-the-flicker-of-appreciation-in-her-brown-eyes-he-wasn-t/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > ['Lethal Weapon' sold apropos of nothing when I was very young, but that was a very different market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-black/lethal-weapon-sold-apropos-of-nothing-when-i-was-very-young-but-that/) [Shane Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-black/) > [My whole body is a lethal weapon, you know. I know more ways to kill you than you know how to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/my-whole-body-is-a-lethal-weapon-you-know-i-know-more-ways-to-kill/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [I have a respect for the 3-D computer-generated action movies, but my first love is stuff like 'Lethal Weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/i-have-a-respect-for-the-3-d-computer-generated-action-movies-but-my/) [Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/) [Browse all 54 Lethal weapon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lethal-weapon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with an arsenal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Orson Scott Card" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-provide-them-with-an-arsenal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Lethal weapon" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-provide-them-with-an-arsenal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/orson-scott-card-134_lethal-weapon_if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-pr_447127.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If words can be lethal weapons, I must provide them with an arsenal.” — Orson Scott Card", "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": "Orson Scott Card", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If words can be lethal weapons,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-provide-them-with-an-arsenal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/if-words-can-be-lethal-weapons-i-must-provide-them-with-an-arsenal/#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 } } ] } ```