--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the human race needs to think…" description: "\"I think the human race needs to think more about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?\" — Robert McNamara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/robert-mcnamara-12738_evil_i-think-the-human-race-needs-to-think-mo_2083813.png" --- # I think the human race needs to think more about killing… ![“I think the human race needs to think more about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?” quote by Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/robert-mcnamara-12738_evil_i-think-the-human-race-needs-to-think-mo_2083813.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/robert-mcnamara-12738_evil_i-think-the-human-race-needs-to-think-mo_2083813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/robert-mcnamara-12738_evil_i-think-the-human-race-needs-to-think-mo_2083813.png) > “I think the human race needs to think more about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?” [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He questions the moral paradox of using harmful means to achieve noble ends, urging reflection on the cost of violence. **In simple terms:** Violence may be used to achieve good, but it raises moral doubts. Key Takeaway Weigh the ethics of means versus ends. Themes ethics war morality politics Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - policy decisions - military interventions - humanitarian aid - conflict resolution Key Concepts just war theory consequentialism moral dilemma Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified to cause harm for a greater good? - How do we measure the balance of evil and good? A Different Perspective The answer may differ across cultures and contexts, making universal judgment hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-evil-1413841/) [Needs Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-think-252372/) [Think Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-killing-643219/) ## Related quotes > [I think the human race needs to think about killing. How much evil must we do to do good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/i-think-the-human-race-needs-to-think-about-killing-how-much-evil/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [I think the human race needs to think about killing. 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It just- it just makes them dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walker-as-voldemort-in-avpm/and-you-d-think-that-killing-people-would-make-them-like-you-but-it/) [Joe Walker (as Voldemort in AVPM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walker-as-voldemort-in-avpm/) > [It is bias to think that the art of war is just for killing people. It is not to kill people, it is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yagyu-munenori/it-is-bias-to-think-that-the-art-of-war-is-just-for-killing-people-it/) [Yagyu Munenori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yagyu-munenori/) > [“killing is evil in the eyes of God,’ I said. ‘Never forget that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-swinfen/killing-is-evil-in-the-eyes-of-god-i-said-never-forget-that/) [Ann Swinfen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-swinfen/) > [When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that's when I think life is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/when-you-have-nobody-you-can-make-a-cup-of-tea-for-when-nobody-needs/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [Fezzik's in trouble, bubble bubble, His brain is just not in the pink, His mind is rubble, rub-a-dub double, Because everyone needs him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/fezzik-s-in-trouble-bubble-bubble-his-brain-is-just-not-in-the-pink/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [I think the church needs – I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-think-the-church-needs-i-think-this-is-the-world-we-are-living-in/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Might it not be that a great force that has always been thinking in terms of human needs, and that always will think in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-rankin/might-it-not-be-that-a-great-force-that-has-always-been-thinking-in/) [Jeannette Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-rankin/) > [“The world needs you more than you can think of! Do your best to make this place better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/the-world-needs-you-more-than-you-can-think-of-do-your-best-to-make/) [Anyaele Sam Chiyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anyaele-sam-chiyson/) > [Take the trouble to stop and think of the other person's feelings, his viewpoints, his desires and needs. Think more of what the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/take-the-trouble-to-stop-and-think-of-the-other-person-s-feelings-his/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Griezmann needs to think about what he says. You have to think about where you are and what team you represent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-niguez/griezmann-needs-to-think-about-what-he-says-you-have-to-think-about/) [Saul Niguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-niguez/) > [I think everybody needs to think about making plays for the team, making winning plays, before thinking about how many points we're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-gobert/i-think-everybody-needs-to-think-about-making-plays-for-the-team/) [Rudy Gobert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-gobert/) ## More by Robert McNamara > [There is no more important task in a democracy than resolving the differences among people and finding a course of action that will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/there-is-no-more-important-task-in-a-democracy-than-resolving-the/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [ \[General Curtis\] LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side has lost. But what makes it immoral if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/general-curtis-lemay-recognized-that-what-he-was-doing-would-be/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [They'll be no learning period with nuclear weapons. Make one mistake and you're going to destroy nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/they-ll-be-no-learning-period-with-nuclear-weapons-make-one-mistake/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [It was a perfectly beautiful night, as fall nights are in Washington. I walked out of the president's Oval Office, and as I walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/it-was-a-perfectly-beautiful-night-as-fall-nights-are-in-washington-i/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [It would be our policy to use nuclear weapons wherever we felt it necessary to protect our forces and achieve our objectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/it-would-be-our-policy-to-use-nuclear-weapons-wherever-we-felt-it/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [One must take draconian measures of demographic reduction against the will of the populations. Reducing the birth rate has proved to be impossible or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/one-must-take-draconian-measures-of-demographic-reduction-against-the/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [Measure what is important, don't make important what you can measure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/measure-what-is-important-don-t-make-important-what-you-can-measure/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [Yeah, yeah, that's right. And I'd rather be damned if I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/yeah-yeah-that-s-right-and-i-d-rather-be-damned-if-i-don-t/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [All those involved in the firebombing of Tokyo .. were war criminals interviews recorded in the movie The Fog of War.. the firebombing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/all-those-involved-in-the-firebombing-of-tokyo-were-war-criminals/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [Lesson 2: The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/lesson-2-the-indefinite-combination-of-human-fallibility-and-nuclear/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [ ...but highly placed sources within the Kennedy Administration disagreed: "\[T\]he assumption that the strategic nuclear balance mattered in any way was wrong... As far… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/but-highly-placed-sources-within-the-kennedy-administration-disagreed/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo - men, women and children. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/we-burned-to-death-100-000-japanese-civilians-in-tokyo-men-women-and/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [I would characterize current US nuclear weapons policy as immoral, illegal, militarily unnecessary, and dreadfully dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/i-would-characterize-current-us-nuclear-weapons-policy-as-immoral/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [Let's go in, let's totally destroy Cuba.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/let-s-go-in-let-s-totally-destroy-cuba/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [In my seven years as Secretary, we came within a hair's breadth of war with the Soviet Union on three different occasions! Twenty-four hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/in-my-seven-years-as-secretary-we-came-within-a-hair-s-breadth-of-war/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) [Explore all 53 Robert McNamara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. 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