--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I get why no one bothers with the usual…" description: "\"“I get why no one bothers with the usual rules,\" ... \"I was in the war, too, you know. Nothing looks or feels the same anymore, so what's the point?\" ...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/paula-mclain-3064_war_i-get-why-no-one-bothers-with-the-usual_361266.jpg" --- # I get why no one bothers with the usual rules," ... "I was… ![“I get why no one bothers with the usual rules," ... "I was in the war, too, you know. Nothing looks or feels the same anymore, so what's the point?" ... "Still, I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else.” quote by Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/paula-mclain-3064_war_i-get-why-no-one-bothers-with-the-usual_361266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/paula-mclain-3064_war_i-get-why-no-one-bothers-with-the-usual_361266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/paula-mclain-3064_war_i-get-why-no-one-bothers-with-the-usual_361266.jpg) > ““I get why no one bothers with the usual rules," ... "I was in the war, too, you know. Nothing looks or feels the same anymore, so what's the point?" ... "Still, I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else.”” [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War and societal rules have eroded meaning, yet the speaker longs for honorable, non-harmful people. **In simple terms:** War changed everything, but I miss honorable people. Key Takeaway Value integrity despite chaos. Themes honor war disillusionment humanity Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - post‑war reconstruction - community building - ethical leadership - personal resilience Key Concepts Existentialism moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does honor mean to you now? - How can you embody it today? A Different Perspective Idealizing the past may ignore present possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else. I know that makes me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-miss-good-old-fashioned-honorable-people-just-trying-to-make/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [Under all the usual rules of interpretation, in short, the Government should lose this case. But normal rules of interpretation seem always to yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/under-all-the-usual-rules-of-interpretation-in-short-the-government/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Just as I know the usual rules of law enforcement, I also know the exceptions and invoke those frequently. I don't feel a need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/just-as-i-know-the-usual-rules-of-law-enforcement-i-also-know-the/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [One of the things that I noticed in war was how difficult it was for our soldiers, at first, to realize that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/one-of-the-things-that-i-noticed-in-war-was-how-difficult-it-was-for/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The rules of war and business are the same. Victory and success are the same. In one it's life and/or death in the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-rules-of-war-and-business-are-the-same-victory-and-success-are/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [“The rules of war established by pen soldiers do not form the basis of actual operations in the field,” he wrote.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-chivers/the-rules-of-war-established-by-pen-soldiers-do-not-form-the-basis-of/) [C.J. Chivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-chivers/) > [“The rules of war for federal court were contained in the 86 rules of federal civil procedure, the rules of the local federal court,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-eade/the-rules-of-war-for-federal-court-were-contained-in-the-86-rules-of/) [Kenneth Eade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-eade/) > [But chiefly, no lies! No lies about there being a Santa Claus or about the world being full of noble and honorable people all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/but-chiefly-no-lies-no-lies-about-there-being-a-santa-claus-or-about/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [Because of the friends I have known, the honorable people I have met, I know I am no solitary hero of unique causes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-of-the-friends-i-have-known-the-honorable-people-i-have-met-i-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because of the friends I have known, the honorable people I have met, I know I am no solitary hero of unique causes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-salvatore/because-of-the-friends-i-have-known-the-honorable-people-i-have-met-i/) [R.A. Salvatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-salvatore/) > [One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-of-the-common-failings-among-honorable-people-is-a-failure-to/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Men, who are rogues individually, are in the mass very honorable people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-who-are-rogues-individually-are-in-the-mass-very-honorable-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Afghans I met were some of the nicest and most honorable people I've ever encountered. There is a code called 'Pashtunwali,' so if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/the-afghans-i-met-were-some-of-the-nicest-and-most-honorable-people-i/) [Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/) > [I always like to remind myself that the most honorable people of all are not those who never make mistakes, but those who admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-hadid/i-always-like-to-remind-myself-that-the-most-honorable-people-of-all/) [Yolanda Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-hadid/) > [Be honorable yourself if you wish to associate with honorable people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-honorable-yourself-if-you-wish-to-associate-with-honorable-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Paula McLain > [“There are some who said I should have fought harder or longer than I did for my marriage, but in the end fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-some-who-said-i-should-have-fought-harder-or-longer-than-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I hope we'll get lucky enough to grow old together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's what terrible, sordid situations did to you, made you act crazily, against your own truths, against yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-what-terrible-sordid-situations-did-to-you-made-you-act/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“He didn't know how love managed to be a garden one moment and war the next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/he-didn-t-know-how-love-managed-to-be-a-garden-one-moment-and-war-the/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [Books could be an incredible adventure. I stayed under my blanket and barely moved, and no one would have guessed how my mind raced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/books-could-be-an-incredible-adventure-i-stayed-under-my-blanket-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [People belong to each other only as long as they both believe. He stopped believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/people-belong-to-each-other-only-as-long-as-they-both-believe-he/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else. I know that makes me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-miss-good-old-fashioned-honorable-people-just-trying-to-make/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [... and yet he could also be very charming, in a bookish, infinitely apologetic way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/and-yet-he-could-also-be-very-charming-in-a-bookish-infinitely/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was august. for years it was august … . there was heat like wet gauze and a high, white sky and music coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-august-for-years-it-was-august-there-was-heat-like-wet-gauze/) [Paula Mclain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“If you're ready to make the mad dash I'm game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/if-you-re-ready-to-make-the-mad-dash-i-m-game/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“We knew what we had and what it meant, and though so much had happened since for both of us, there was nothing like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/we-knew-what-we-had-and-what-it-meant-and-though-so-much-had-happened/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“There are things I didn't see before, like how nice it is to have someone around. Not the white knight whisking you away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-things-i-didn-t-see-before-like-how-nice-it-is-to-have/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's obviously, isn't it?' she said. 'A hawk is always a hawk, except'- and here she raised on heavy eyebrow and gave a mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-obviously-isn-t-it-she-said-a-hawk-is-always-a-hawk-except-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“I hope we’ll get lucky enough to grow old together. You see them on the street, those couples who’ve been married so long you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together-you-see-them-on/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was terrible to feel so empty, as if I were nothing. Why couldn't I be happy? And just what was happines anyway?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-terrible-to-feel-so-empty-as-if-i-were-nothing-why-couldn-t-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) [Explore all 139 Paula McLain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## More War quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [“People came to our house from far and wide. Party and military bigwigs, some guy known as the “combat commander,” the village headman, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaji-ishikawa/people-came-to-our-house-from-far-and-wide-party-and-military-bigwigs/) [Masaji Ishikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaji-ishikawa/) > [Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a batter. Love is a war. Love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-does-not-begin-and-end-the-way-we-seem-to-think-it-does-love-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The world," said Pavone, "will swing to the left. The whole world except America. The world will swing, not because people read Karl Marx,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/the-world-said-pavone-will-swing-to-the-left-the-whole-world-except/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [“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 [Browse all 38,922 War quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I get why no one bothers with the usual rules,\" ... \"I was in the war, too, you know. Nothing looks or feels the same anymore, so what's the point?\" ... \"Still, I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. 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