--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Among the calamities of war may be justly…" description: "\"Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth by falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg" --- # Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the… ![“Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth by falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages. A peace will equally leave the warrior and the relater of wars destitute of employment; and I know not whether more is to be dreaded from streets…” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg) > “Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth by falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages. A peace will equally leave the warrior and the relater of wars destitute of employment; and I know not whether more is to be dreaded from streets filled with soldiers accustomed to plunder, or from garrets filled with scribblers accustomed to lie.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War erodes truth as falsehoods thrive, and peace leaves both soldiers and storytellers unemployed, creating new societal dangers. **In simple terms:** War harms truth and peace creates unemployment for warriors and writers. Key Takeaway Beware the loss of truth and purpose after conflict. Themes truth war peace employment society Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical critical observational When to use this quote - military demobilization - journalism - education - civic discourse Key Concepts philosophy political critique human nature Questions to Reflect On - How does war affect honesty in society? - What can replace the purpose of soldiers and chroniclers in peace? A Different Perspective Peace may not solve underlying moral decay; new roles must be found. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calamity/) [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Falsehoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehoods/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Of Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-truth/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warrior/) ## Related quotes > [Among the calamities of war may be numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates, and credulity encourages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-numbered-the-diminution-of-the/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Falsehoods of convenience or vanity, falsehoods from which no evil immediately visible ensues, except the general degradation of human testimony, are very lightly uttered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/falsehoods-of-convenience-or-vanity-falsehoods-from-which-no-evil/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Many falsehoods are passing into uncontradicted history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/many-falsehoods-are-passing-into-uncontradicted-history/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A few men are sufficient to broach falsehoods, which are afterwards innocently diffused by successive relaters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-few-men-are-sufficient-to-broach-falsehoods-which-are-afterwards/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Love of truth will bless the lover all his days; yet when he brings her home, his fair-faced bride, she comes empty-handed to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/love-of-truth-will-bless-the-lover-all-his-days-yet-when-he-brings/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [“We must learn that any person who will not accept what he knows to be truth for the very love of truth alone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/we-must-learn-that-any-person-who-will-not-accept-what-he-knows-to-be/) [Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/) > [To say that everything in the bible is to be believed , simply because it is found in that volume, is equally absurd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/to-say-that-everything-in-the-bible-is-to-be-believed-simply-because/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [There are very few real teachers. Teaching is not a job; it is a vocation. To be a great one many qualities must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-von-hildebrand/there-are-very-few-real-teachers-teaching-is-not-a-job-it-is-a/) [Alice von Hildebrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-von-hildebrand/) > [A life in harmony with nature, the love of truth and virtue, will purge the eyes to understanding her text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-life-in-harmony-with-nature-the-love-of-truth-and-virtue-will-purge/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In this age, lies were the universal lubricant of the culture. A love of Truth and commitment to it were seldom rewarded and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/in-this-age-lies-were-the-universal-lubricant-of-the-culture-a-love/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Do you want to be right more than you want to know the truth? It's the truth that set me free. Acceptance, peace, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/do-you-want-to-be-right-more-than-you-want-to-know-the-truth-it-s-the/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [In mysticism that love of truth which we saw as the beginning of all philosophy leaves the merely intellectual sphere, and takes on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/in-mysticism-that-love-of-truth-which-we-saw-as-the-beginning-of-all/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [I think my love of truth and honesty forces me to notice that the liberal intelligentsia of Western countries is betraying itself where Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-my-love-of-truth-and-honesty-forces-me-to-notice-that-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The inability to lie is far from the love of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-inability-to-lie-is-far-from-the-love-of-truth/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Accustomed quotes > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) Edward Greenspon > [To one who is accustomed to thinking a lot, every new thought that he hears or reads about immediately appears as a link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-one-who-is-accustomed-to-thinking-a-lot-every-new-thought-that-he/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I have been in relatively high-risk businesses all of my adult life. Few of the others, however, had the possibility of direct gains in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-have-been-in-relatively-high-risk-businesses-all-of-my-adult-life/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [We have become accustomed to living our life with joy amidst pain and challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-reeve/we-have-become-accustomed-to-living-our-life-with-joy-amidst-pain-and/) [Dana Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-reeve/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [If you're a Firefox user, you get accustomed to your history and the URL bar and finding things. That should be available on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-baker/if-you-re-a-firefox-user-you-get-accustomed-to-your-history-and-the/) [Mitchell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-baker/) > [It is amazing how soon one becomes accustomed to the sound of ones voice, when forced to repeat a speech five or six times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/it-is-amazing-how-soon-one-becomes-accustomed-to-the-sound-of-ones/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [We are too much accustomed to attribute to a single cause that which is the product of several, and the majority of our controversies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-are-too-much-accustomed-to-attribute-to-a-single-cause-that-which/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Once you grow accustomed to being famous, you do not realize it, but you are never quite your humble, honest self. No matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corra-may-harris/once-you-grow-accustomed-to-being-famous-you-do-not-realize-it-but/) [Corra May Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corra-may-harris/) > [I love physical kinds of comedy and getting down and dirty and doing stunts. When I was growing up, I was always getting into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-diaz/i-love-physical-kinds-of-comedy-and-getting-down-and-dirty-and-doing/) [Cameron Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-diaz/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) Browse all 543 Accustomed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth by falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages. A peace will equally leave the warrior and the relater of wars destitute of employment; and I know not whether more is to be dreaded from streets filled with soldiers accustomed to plunder, or from garrets filled with scribblers accustomed to lie.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justly-numbered-the-diminution-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accustomed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justly-numbered-the-diminution-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3da/samuel-johnson-50_accustomed_among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justl_2505306.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth by falsehoods which…” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Among the calamities of war may...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justly-numbered-the-diminution-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-calamities-of-war-may-be-justly-numbered-the-diminution-of/#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 } } ] } ```