--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth is the first casualty of war." description: "\"“Truth is the first casualty of war.”\" — Sophie Masson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg" --- # Truth is the first casualty of war. ![“Truth is the first casualty of war.” quote by Sophie Masson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg) > ““Truth is the first casualty of war.”” Sophie Masson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War turns truth into a casualty, distorting reality. **In simple terms:** War destroys truth. Key Takeaway Question narratives in conflict. Themes war truth ethics Mood serious thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - policy analysis - education Key Concepts propaganda information warfare moral dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect truth during war? - What responsibilities do media have in conflict? A Different Perspective Truth can survive through resilient reporting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Casualty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casualty/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Truth is always the first casualty of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/truth-is-always-the-first-casualty-of-war/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [For the sake of the troops, for the love of the troops, we must not add yet another casualty to this war. We must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/for-the-sake-of-the-troops-for-the-love-of-the-troops-we-must-not-add/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [In war, truth is the first casualty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-war-truth-is-the-first-casualty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In war truth is first casualty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschlus/in-war-truth-is-first-casualty/) Aeschlus > [In war, truth is often the first casualty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-war-truth-is-often-the-first-casualty/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [truth ... is the first casualty of tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-tyranny/) [Barbara Grizzuti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/) > [Once the war of words begins, truth is the casualty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-chidambaram/once-the-war-of-words-begins-truth-is-the-casualty/) [P. Chidambaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-chidambaram/) > [Freedom is often the first casualty of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/freedom-is-often-the-first-casualty-of-war/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The first casualty of war is innocence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-first-casualty-of-war-is-innocence/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [The first casualty in every war is truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-lester/the-first-casualty-in-every-war-is-truth/) [Muriel Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-lester/) > [The first casualty when war comes is truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiram-johnson/the-first-casualty-when-war-comes-is-truth/) Hiram Johnson > [Hitler at the end thought that he himself was one more casualty in the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/hitler-at-the-end-thought-that-he-himself-was-one-more-casualty-in/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [They keep telling us that in war truth is the first casualty, which is nonsense since it implies that in times of peace truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/they-keep-telling-us-that-in-war-truth-is-the-first-casualty-which-is/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [When war is declared, truth is the first casualty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-war-is-declared-truth-is-the-first-casualty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Whenever passion prevails over reason, truth becomes a casualty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/whenever-passion-prevails-over-reason-truth-becomes-a-casualty/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) ## More by Sophie Masson > [“Sounds charming,' I said impatiently. But I didn't come here to talk about the end of the world.' 'Really?' He tipped his hat up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/sounds-charming-i-said-impatiently-but-i-didn-t-come-here-to-talk/) Sophie Masson > [“Bombs and bullets don't discriminate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/bombs-and-bullets-don-t-discriminate/) Sophie Masson Explore all 3 Sophie Masson quotes ## More Blunt quotes > [Jazz is not something that can be defined through blunt instruments. It is much more poetic than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/jazz-is-not-something-that-can-be-defined-through-blunt-instruments/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Was it fate? Was it destiny?" "I think it was Alan Blunt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/was-it-fate-was-it-destiny-i-think-it-was-alan-blunt/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [Blunt force didn't knock out the drug epidemic. 21 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol. And half of all federal inmates are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-botticelli/blunt-force-didn-t-knock-out-the-drug-epidemic-21-million-americans/) [Michael Botticelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-botticelli/) > [Christie led the way - with a bulldozer. The governor is blunt, brash, and self-consciously authentic, the antithesis to what turns off today's voters:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/christie-led-the-way-with-a-bulldozer-the-governor-is-blunt-brash-and/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [The finest edge is made with the blunt whetstone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-finest-edge-is-made-with-the-blunt-whetstone/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [I'm a blunt person, not mean-spirited. I come from a place of love, but I'm interested in being real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-mcmillan/i-m-a-blunt-person-not-mean-spirited-i-come-from-a-place-of-love-but/) [Tracy McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-mcmillan/) > [Emily and I have some funny scenes where we quarrel and it gets quite heated, the mother-daughter relationship. You know, film mothers and daughters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/emily-and-i-have-some-funny-scenes-where-we-quarrel-and-it-gets-quite/) [Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/) > [Rumour is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures And of so easy and so plain a stop That the blunt monster with uncounted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/rumour-is-a-pipe-blown-by-surmises-jealousies-conjectures-and-of-so/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/fill-your-bowl-to-the-brim-and-it-will-spill-keep-sharpening-your/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Better stop short than fill to the brim. Oversharpen the blade, and the edge will soon blunt. Amass a store of gold and jade,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/better-stop-short-than-fill-to-the-brim-oversharpen-the-blade-and-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [There is something discordant about a team of speechwriters and political operatives hammering away to create an image of the 'real, inner' candidate. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/there-is-something-discordant-about-a-team-of-speechwriters-and/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [I'm too blunt and straightforward for politics, but I'm friends with all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/i-m-too-blunt-and-straightforward-for-politics-but-i-m-friends-with/) [Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/) > [I don't get along with many people, especially in studios. I'm quite blunt and I know what I want - and songwriters are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/i-don-t-get-along-with-many-people-especially-in-studios-i-m-quite/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) > [You're afraid of making mistakes. Don't be. Mistakes can be profited by. Man, when I was young I shoved my ignorance in people's faces.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-re-afraid-of-making-mistakes-don-t-be-mistakes-can-be-profited-by/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) Browse all 322 Blunt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Truth is the first casualty of war.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sophie Masson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blunt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/sophie-masson-84356_blunt_truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war-22074_2207401.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Truth is the first casualty of war.” — Sophie Masson", "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": "Sophie Masson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-masson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Truth is the first casualty of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-masson/truth-is-the-first-casualty-of-war/#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 } } ] } ```