--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It occurred to me that if I could invent…" description: "\"It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg" --- # It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun… ![“It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease [would] be greatly…” quote by Richard Jordan Gatling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg) > “It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease \[would\] be greatly diminished.” [Richard Jordan Gatling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jordan-gatling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A rapid‑fire gun could replace large armies, reducing battlefield casualties and disease exposure. **In simple terms:** Fast guns could cut army size and war‑related illness. Key Takeaway Consider technology’s impact on warfare and health. Themes military technology war ethics public health innovation strategic doctrine Mood analytical cautionary historical Type Army:1 Battle:1 Computers:0 Disease:1 Duty:0 Exposure:1 Fire:0 Gun:1 Hundred:0 Machine gun:1 Machines:0 Men:0 War:1 Would be:0 Large Armies:1 Gun Rapidity:0 Armies Consequently:0 Necessity Large:0 When to use this quote - policy debate - historical study - ethical review - weapon design - public health planning Key Concepts mechanical engineering arms race disease prevention logistics human cost Questions to Reflect On - Is reducing army size always beneficial? - What safeguards are needed for new weapons? A Different Perspective Technological solutions may create new threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armies Consequently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armies-consequently-6136271/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Exposure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposure/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Gun Rapidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun-rapidity-6136270/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Large Armies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-armies-708318/) [Machine gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machine-gun/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Necessity Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity-large-6136272/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Bogging down large armies in historically complex, dangerous areas ends in disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/bogging-down-large-armies-in-historically-complex-dangerous-areas/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) > [The most dangerous states in the international system are continental powers with large armies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-most-dangerous-states-in-the-international-system-are-continental/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [God is on everyone's side... and in the last analysis, he is on the side with plenty of money and large armies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/god-is-on-everyone-s-side-and-in-the-last-analysis-he-is-on-the-side/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [So long as large armies go to battle, so long will the air arm remain their spearhead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-falls/so-long-as-large-armies-go-to-battle-so-long-will-the-air-arm-remain/) [Cyril Falls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-falls/) > [As we've seen, deploying large armies abroad won't always be our best offense. Countries typically don't want foreign soldiers in their cities and towns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/as-we-ve-seen-deploying-large-armies-abroad-won-t-always-be-our-best/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [We have got to accept Big Government for the duration-for neither an offensive nor a defensive war can be waged, given our present government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/we-have-got-to-accept-big-government-for-the-duration-for-neither-an/) [William F. 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I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/visually-i-ve-always-liked-the-20s-30s-for-film-i-do-these-because-i/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Esther be the one that shoots a machine gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-top-21087/esther-be-the-one-that-shoots-a-machine-gun/) [ZZ Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zz-top-21087/) > [My mind's a machine gun, my body's the bullets and the audience is the target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gg-allin/my-mind-s-a-machine-gun-my-body-s-the-bullets-and-the-audience-is-the/) [GG Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gg-allin/) > [“He hammered along, arms swinging by his sides. He was known, well known, along the highways in hiding that are traveled by the poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/he-hammered-along-arms-swinging-by-his-sides-he-was-known-well-known/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-establish-no-religion-in-this-country-we-command-no-worship-we/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [No one rocks a heavy machine gun like Michelle Rodriguez.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-w-s-anderson/no-one-rocks-a-heavy-machine-gun-like-michelle-rodriguez/) [Paul W. S. 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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": "It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease [would] be greatly diminished.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Jordan Gatling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jordan-gatling/it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent-a-machine-a-gun-which-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jordan-gatling/it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent-a-machine-a-gun-which-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/richard-jordan-gatling-272677_army_it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent_1609760.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one…” — Richard Jordan Gatling", "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": "Richard Jordan Gatling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jordan-gatling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It occurred to me that if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jordan-gatling/it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent-a-machine-a-gun-which-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jordan-gatling/it-occurred-to-me-that-if-i-could-invent-a-machine-a-gun-which-could/#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 } } ] } ```