--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s…" description: "\"In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try to untangle it. Everyone is a victim.\" — Philip K. Dick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg" --- # In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try… ![“In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try to untangle it. Everyone is a victim.” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg) > “In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try to untangle it. Everyone is a victim.” [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civil wars involve multiple flawed sides, making resolution seem impossible and everyone a victim. **In simple terms:** All sides in civil war are flawed. Key Takeaway Seek nuanced understanding beyond binary labels. Themes conflict morality victimhood politics Mood somber reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - peacebuilding workshops - historical analysis - mediated dialogues - community healing programs - policy reform Key Concepts ethical relativism complex systems Questions to Reflect On - How can victims find agency? - What pathways exist for reconciliation? A Different Perspective Complexity can lead to paralysis in action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Hopeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopeless/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Untangle Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/untangle-victim-5459821/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-wrong-483079/) ## Related quotes > [“I see what you think you mean," said the magician, "but you are wrong. There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/i-see-what-you-think-you-mean-said-the-magician-but-you-are-wrong/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [I'm writing from New Zealand - a country that decided from the beginning that the War was wrong, and chose not to participate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-m-writing-from-new-zealand-a-country-that-decided-from-the/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [I want that there should be a belief, a faith in the possibility of removing mountains to the side of right. If we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/i-want-that-there-should-be-a-belief-a-faith-in-the-possibility-of/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [If we must have heroes and wars whereinto make them, there is no war so brilliant as a war with the wrong, no hero…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isambard-kingdom-brunel/if-we-must-have-heroes-and-wars-whereinto-make-them-there-is-no-war/) [Isambard Kingdom Brunel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isambard-kingdom-brunel/) > [Every day it becomes clearer that this was the wrong war at the wrong time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/every-day-it-becomes-clearer-that-this-was-the-wrong-war-at-the-wrong/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [I am still profoundly troubled by the war in Nicaragua. The United States launched a covert war against another nation in violation of international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/i-am-still-profoundly-troubled-by-the-war-in-nicaragua-the-united/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [Sending our youth to war is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-berryman/sending-our-youth-to-war-is-wrong/) [Michael Berryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-berryman/) > [The wrong war, at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and with the wrong enemy. ... Red China is not the powerful nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/the-wrong-war-at-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time-and-with-the-wrong/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) > [I think we're coming to a place where we're saying all war is wrong. We might even learn something about the sensationalism we get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/i-think-we-re-coming-to-a-place-where-we-re-saying-all-war-is-wrong/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [ It's awfully hard to convey a sense of credibility to allies when you \[the Congress\] voted for the war and then you declared: Wrong… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/it-s-awfully-hard-to-convey-a-sense-of-credibility-to-allies-when-you/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Saddam Hussein was a horrible man, and I am pleased he is no longer running Iraq. But the war was wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-balls/saddam-hussein-was-a-horrible-man-and-i-am-pleased-he-is-no-longer/) [Ed Balls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-balls/) > […All drugs should be legal. War is wrong. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. Thank you. I'll be here all week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/all-drugs-should-be-legal-war-is-wrong-the-rich-get-richer-the-poor/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [“The movies, I thought, have got the soundtrack to war all wrong. War isn't rock 'n' roll. It's got nothing to do with Jimi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ayres/the-movies-i-thought-have-got-the-soundtrack-to-war-all-wrong-war-isn/) [Chris Ayres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ayres/) > [I thought Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time and have been fighting to get the Administration to stop its failed policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/i-thought-iraq-was-the-wrong-war-at-the-wrong-time-and-have-been/) [Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/) > [War is wrong. Conscription for war is inconsistent with freedom of conscience, which is not merely the right to believe but to act on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/war-is-wrong-conscription-for-war-is-inconsistent-with-freedom-of/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) ## More by Philip K. Dick > [So we and our elaborately evolving computers may meet each other halfway. Someday a human being, named perhaps Fred White, may shoot a robot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/so-we-and-our-elaborately-evolving-computers-may-meet-each-other/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“That is not how you do it; you do not solve one problem with another, greater problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/that-is-not-how-you-do-it-you-do-not-solve-one-problem-with-another/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [For each person there is a sentence—a series of words—which has the power to destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/for-each-person-there-is-a-sentence-a-series-of-words-which-has-the/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-want-to-write-about-people-i-love-and-put-them-into-a-fictional/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like-a-woman-not-for-that-not-for/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The church of my choice is the free, open world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-church-of-my-choice-is-the-free-open-world/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“I see,' Rick said. He felt numb. Completely. Throughout his entire body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-see-rick-said-he-felt-numb-completely-throughout-his-entire-body/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“What is identity? he asked himself. Where does the act end? Nobody knows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-is-identity-he-asked-himself-where-does-the-act-end-nobody-knows/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [What scared me the most was when my father would put on the gasmask. His face would disappear... This was not a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-scared-me-the-most-was-when-my-father-would-put-on-the-gasmask/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“A man is an angel that has become deranged, Joe Fernwright thought. Once they – all of them – had been genuine angels, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/a-man-is-an-angel-that-has-become-deranged-joe-fernwright-thought/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-do-i-see-a-photograph-when-a-reflection/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My major preoccupation is the question, 'What is reality?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/my-major-preoccupation-is-the-question-what-is-reality/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Explore all 489 Philip K. Dick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) [Homer Bone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-bone/) > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/) [James A. Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-connolly/) > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [“Only twenty - nine years in the entire human history had been without warfare, and now here he was too, travelling between the episodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/only-twenty-nine-years-in-the-entire-human-history-had-been-without/) [Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/) [Browse all 1,714 Civil war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try to untangle it. Everyone is a victim.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip K. Dick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s-hopeless-to-try-to-untangle/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s-hopeless-to-try-to-untangle/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c1/philip-k-dick-502_civil-war_in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s_1493251.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In a civil war… every side is wrong. It’s hopeless to try to untangle it. Everyone is a victim.” — Philip K. Dick", "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": "Philip K. Dick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In a civil war… every side...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s-hopeless-to-try-to-untangle/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/in-a-civil-war-every-side-is-wrong-it-s-hopeless-to-try-to-untangle/#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 } } ] } ```