--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is a lot of things and it's useless…" description: "\"“War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them.”\" — Sebastian Junger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png" --- # War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that… ![“War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them.” quote by Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png) > ““War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them.”” [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War encompasses many aspects, including excitement, challenging the notion that it’s only negative. **In simple terms:** War has varied, sometimes thrilling, aspects. Key Takeaway Acknowledge war’s complex nature. Themes war complexity human experience Mood serious analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - military training - media coverage - historical analysis Key Concepts psychology of conflict adrenaline response Questions to Reflect On - What drives fascination with war? - How to balance excitement with ethical concerns? A Different Perspective May romanticize conflict, overlooking suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them. (pg. 144)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless-to-pretend-that-exciting-isn-2/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I know a lot about a few things - mostly useless things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-rocca/i-know-a-lot-about-a-few-things-mostly-useless-things/) [Mo Rocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-rocca/) > [I'm boring. I stay home, watch TV, and eat a lot of fast food. That's really exciting, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-m-boring-i-stay-home-watch-tv-and-eat-a-lot-of-fast-food-that-s/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [Things are useless without practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erykah-badu/things-are-useless-without-practice/) [Erykah Badu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erykah-badu/) > [Clutter is what happens to things when they become useless but friendly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-lynes/clutter-is-what-happens-to-things-when-they-become-useless-but/) [Russell Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-lynes/) > [Power rests on the kind of knowledge one holds. What is the sense of knowing things that are useless?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/power-rests-on-the-kind-of-knowledge-one-holds-what-is-the-sense-of/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A creative photographer is one who either captures mystery or reveals things, everything else is useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghu-rai/a-creative-photographer-is-one-who-either-captures-mystery-or-reveals/) [Raghu Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghu-rai/) > [Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/better-to-know-a-few-things-which-are-good-and-necessary-than-many/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The most beautiful things are useless or can only be used for decorating to stand out u need more than beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedaiah-fraser/the-most-beautiful-things-are-useless-or-can-only-be-used-for/) Jedaiah Fraser > [People say I'm bad at a lot of things. One I agree with is that I'm a bad driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hansen/people-say-i-m-bad-at-a-lot-of-things-one-i-agree-with-is-that-i-m-a/) [Alan Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hansen/) > [I think was able to do a lot of things here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latrell-sprewell/i-think-was-able-to-do-a-lot-of-things-here/) [Latrell Sprewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latrell-sprewell/) > [A lot of the things I did - it's not going to sound anything but egotistical - if I'm lucky and I did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/a-lot-of-the-things-i-did-it-s-not-going-to-sound-anything-but/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [I think there are a lot of things that are different and there are a lot of things that are the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klayton/i-think-there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-are-different-and-there-are-a/) [Klayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klayton/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I'm a lot of things, but none of them are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nelson/i-m-a-lot-of-things-but-none-of-them-are-great/) [Don Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nelson/) ## More by Sebastian Junger > [No matter how many people you kill, using a machine gun in battle is not a war crime because it does not cause unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/no-matter-how-many-people-you-kill-using-a-machine-gun-in-battle-is/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-anything-besides-pay-taxes-we/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“There are houses in Gloucester where grooves have been worn into the floorboards by women pacing past an upstairs window, looking out to sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-are-houses-in-gloucester-where-grooves-have-been-worn-into-the/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“Billy's at 44 north, 56 west and heading straight into meteorological hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/billy-s-at-44-north-56-west-and-heading-straight-into-meteorological/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [There is some evidence that average wave heights are slowly rising, and that freak waves of eighty or ninety feet are becoming more common.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-is-some-evidence-that-average-wave-heights-are-slowly-rising/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [If you get an infection, you get a fever; the fever is your body dealing with the infection. If you get traumatized, your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/if-you-get-an-infection-you-get-a-fever-the-fever-is-your-body/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [People who do really dangerous tasks can't afford to sit around and discuss the merits of what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/people-who-do-really-dangerous-tasks-can-t-afford-to-sit-around-and/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I would never want to pass a law limiting freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean we have to condone statements that undermine basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-would-never-want-to-pass-a-law-limiting-freedom-of-speech-but-that/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I think objectivity is like this strange myth that people think you're supposed to achieve, but actually, the dirty little secret is that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-think-objectivity-is-like-this-strange-myth-that-people-think-you/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [Each Javelin round costs $80,000, and the idea that it's fired by a guy who doesn't make that in a year at a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/each-javelin-round-costs-80-000-and-the-idea-that-it-s-fired-by-a-guy/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“I look at the names on the mailboxes and the bells inside number 1940 and pick out a couple of women’s names and press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-look-at-the-names-on-the-mailboxes-and-the-bells-inside-number-1940/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [It's fun to have money, but the more money I get, the less interesting it becomes. If you don't have very much, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/it-s-fun-to-have-money-but-the-more-money-i-get-the-less-interesting/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“The United States is so powerful that the only country capable of destroying her might be the United States herself, which means that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-united-states-is-so-powerful-that-the-only-country-capable-of/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [The most profound question is, "What would I risk dying for?" The natural answer is "for my family." But for most of history, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-most-profound-question-is-what-would-i-risk-dying-for-the-natural/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [When you're scared, you're still hanging on to life. When you're ready to die, you let it go. A sort of emptying out occurs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/when-you-re-scared-you-re-still-hanging-on-to-life-when-you-re-ready/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) [Explore all 107 Sebastian Junger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## More Exciting quotes > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [It's always exciting to be part of films where you matter and add value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/it-s-always-exciting-to-be-part-of-films-where-you-matter-and-add/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [Life can be difficult sometimes, it gets bumpy. What with family and kids and things not going exactly like you planned. But that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-van-patten/life-can-be-difficult-sometimes-it-gets-bumpy-what-with-family-and/) Joyce Van Patten > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [Schools must inquire deeper into their own practices, explore new ways to motivate their learners, make use of learning styles, introduce multiple intelligences, integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fullan/schools-must-inquire-deeper-into-their-own-practices-explore-new-ways/) [Michael Fullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fullan/) > [I'm not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling - I like to know where the mythology's going; I like to get there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/i-m-not-a-fan-of-endless-mystery-in-storytelling-i-like-to-know-where/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [“Life is adventurous and exciting because you never know where you will be in a few minutes or so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/life-is-adventurous-and-exciting-because-you-never-know-where-you/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [In science, the most exciting expression isn’t ‘Eureka!’ It’s ‘Huh?’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hawley/in-science-the-most-exciting-expression-isn-t-eureka-it-s-huh/) Michael Hawley > [I still consider it a summer job, though. So, I try to maintain that summer job as long as I can. But it's exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-still-consider-it-a-summer-job-though-so-i-try-to-maintain-that/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) Browse all 3,331 Exciting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sebastian Junger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless-to-pretend-that-exciting-isn/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exciting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless-to-pretend-that-exciting-isn/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/sebastian-junger-4689_exciting_war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless_1045079.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them.” — Sebastian Junger", "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": "Sebastian Junger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“War is a lot of things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless-to-pretend-that-exciting-isn/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-a-lot-of-things-and-it-s-useless-to-pretend-that-exciting-isn/#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 } } ] } ```