---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War, I have always said, forces men to…"
description: "\"War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won or lost.\" — Salvatore Quasimodo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png"
---

#  War, I have always said, forces men to change their…

![“War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won or lost.” quote by Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png)

> “War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won or lost.”

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War forces societies to reassess values, regardless of victory or defeat.

**In simple terms:** Conflict reshapes standards.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how conflict changes values.

Themes

war ethics societal change

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political negotiations
- post‑war reconstruction
- personal decision‑making
- business strategy

Key Concepts

Moral relativism cultural adaptation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you adjust personal standards during conflict?
- Can conflict ever lead to positive moral growth?

A Different Perspective

War may also entrench existing power structures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [Only the mediocre are always at their best. If your standards are low, it is easy to meet those standards every single day, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/only-the-mediocre-are-always-at-their-best-if-your-standards-are-low/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [“We hear how diversity and equity are about lowering standards or doing away with them altogether. If DEI initiatives do the work they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-about-lowering-standards-or/)

[Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/)

> [Faith is one of the forces by which men live, and the total absence of it means collapse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/faith-is-one-of-the-forces-by-which-men-live-and-the-total-absence-of/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [American politics is a struggle, not of men but of forces. The men become every year more and more creatures of force, massed about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/american-politics-is-a-struggle-not-of-men-but-of-forces-the-men/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [Modern politics is, at bottom, a struggle not of men but of forces. The men become every year more and more creatures of force,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/modern-politics-is-at-bottom-a-struggle-not-of-men-but-of-forces-the/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [God never forces men to act against their wills. By workings of outward providence or of inward grace, the Lord may change men's minds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-chantry/god-never-forces-men-to-act-against-their-wills-by-workings-of/)

[Walter J Chantry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-chantry/)

> [“He heard the Baymen tell of war, but they never said it could be harnessed, its head held down, and made to run in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/he-heard-the-baymen-tell-of-war-but-they-never-said-it-could-be/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [“THEY WILL ALL BETRAY YOU, War said. And they would. Whether it was her teachers or her friends or her family, they would all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/they-will-all-betray-you-war-said-and-they-would-whether-it-was-her/)

[Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/)

> [We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy's side of the front is always propaganda and what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/we-must-remember-that-in-time-of-war-what-is-said-on-the-enemy-s-side/)

[Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/)

> [“It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/it-makes-no-difference-what-men-think-of-war-said-the-judge-war/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [In America, we met this guy who'd been in the army. He'd been over in the Iraq war. He said that our CD helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattew-nicholls/in-america-we-met-this-guy-who-d-been-in-the-army-he-d-been-over-in/)

[Mattew Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattew-nicholls/)

> [Boys are the cash of war. Whoever said: we're not free spenders- doesn't know our like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/boys-are-the-cash-of-war-whoever-said-we-re-not-free-spenders-doesn-t/)

[John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/)

> [“There's always been war," said Veillard. "But people quickly get accustomed to peace. So they think it's normal. No, war is what's normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-s-always-been-war-said-veillard-but-people-quickly-get/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“You’re against everything that’s been done since the last war,” said the very up-to-date lady. “You’ve got the wrong date: I’m against everything that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-m-cioran/you-re-against-everything-that-s-been-done-since-the-last-war-said/)

[Emil M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-m-cioran/)

> [You never kill any one that you want to kill in a war, he said to himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-never-kill-any-one-that-you-want-to-kill-in-a-war-he-said-to/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

## More by Salvatore Quasimodo

> [“Ognuno sta solo sul cuor della terra trafitto da un raggio di sole: ed e subito sera. (Everyone stands along on the heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/ognuno-sta-solo-sul-cuor-della-terra-trafitto-da-un-raggio-di-sole-ed/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [In opposition to this detachment, he finds an image of man which contains within itself man's dreams, man's illness, man's redemption from the misery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/in-opposition-to-this-detachment-he-finds-an-image-of-man-which/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [The poet does not fear death, not because he believes in the fantasy of heroes, but because death constantly visits his thoughts and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/the-poet-does-not-fear-death-not-because-he-believes-in-the-fantasy/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [Poetry is also the physical self of the poet, and it is impossible to separate the poet from his poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/poetry-is-also-the-physical-self-of-the-poet-and-it-is-impossible-to/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [He passes from lyric to epic poetry in order to speak about the world and the torment in the world through man, rationally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/he-passes-from-lyric-to-epic-poetry-in-order-to-speak-about-the-world/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [An exact poetic duplication of a man is for the poet a negation of the earth, an impossibility of being, even though his greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/an-exact-poetic-duplication-of-a-man-is-for-the-poet-a-negation-of/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [Poetry is the revelation of a feeling that the poet believes to be interior and personal which the reader recognizes as his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/poetry-is-the-revelation-of-a-feeling-that-the-poet-believes-to-be/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [As the poet has expected, the alarms now are sounded, for - and it must be said again - the birth of a poet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/as-the-poet-has-expected-the-alarms-now-are-sounded-for-and-it-must/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [Thus, the poet's word is beginning to strike forcefully upon the hearts of all men, while absolute men of letters think that they alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/thus-the-poet-s-word-is-beginning-to-strike-forcefully-upon-the/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [From the night, his solitude, the poet finds day and starts a diary that is lethal to the inert. The dark landscape yields a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/from-the-night-his-solitude-the-poet-finds-day-and-starts-a-diary/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [Europeans know the importance of the Resistance; it has been the shining example of the modern conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/europeans-know-the-importance-of-the-resistance-it-has-been-the/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [The Resistance is a moral certainty, not a poetic one. The true poet never uses words in order to punish someone. His judgment belongs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/the-resistance-is-a-moral-certainty-not-a-poetic-one-the-true-poet/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [My readers at that time were still men of letters; but there had to be other people waiting to read my poems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/my-readers-at-that-time-were-still-men-of-letters-but-there-had-to-be/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [Even a polemic has some justification if one considers that my own first poetic experiments began during a dictatorship and mark the origin of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/even-a-polemic-has-some-justification-if-one-considers-that-my-own/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

> [The poet's other readers are the ancient poets, who look upon the freshly written pages from an incorruptible distance. Their poetic forms are permanent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/the-poet-s-other-readers-are-the-ancient-poets-who-look-upon-the/)

[Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

[Explore all 30 Salvatore Quasimodo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/)

## More Country quotes

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [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/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/)

[Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

[Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won or lost.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Salvatore Quasimodo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-change-their-standards/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Country"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-change-their-standards/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/salvatore-quasimodo-20910_country_war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-cha_885555.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“War, I have always said, forces men to change their standards, regardless of whether their country has won…” — Salvatore Quasimodo",
                "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": "Salvatore Quasimodo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "War, I have always said, forces...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-change-their-standards/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/war-i-have-always-said-forces-men-to-change-their-standards/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
