--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No. There is one fairly good reason for…" description: "\"“No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting--and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a wickedness, perhaps the greatest wicked..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/t-h-white-4461_fighting_no-there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-f_125657.png" --- # No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting--and that… ![“No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting--and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a wickedness, perhaps the greatest wickedness of a wicked species. They are so wicked that they must not be allowed. When you can be perfectly certain that the other man started them, then…” quote by T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/t-h-white-4461_fighting_no-there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-f_125657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/t-h-white-4461_fighting_no-there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-f_125657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/t-h-white-4461_fighting_no-there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-f_125657.png) > ““No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting--and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a wickedness, perhaps the greatest wickedness of a wicked species. They are so wicked that they must not be allowed. When you can be perfectly certain that the other man started them, then is time when you might have a sort of duty to stop him.”” [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is condemned as a profound moral evil, but a duty may arise to intervene when the other party initiates conflict. **In simple terms:** War is wicked; stop it if provoked. Key Takeaway Moral duty to halt unjust aggression. Themes war ethics duty conflict Mood serious reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - international diplomacy - self‑defense scenarios Key Concepts moral philosophy Practical Applications - Establish clear rules of engagement - Promote conflict de‑escalation mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - When is it justified to intervene in another’s war? - How can we reliably determine the initiator of conflict? A Different Perspective The premise assumes clear identification of the aggressor, which is often ambiguous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) ## Related quotes > [There is one fairly good reason for fighting - and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-one-fairly-good-reason-for-fighting-and-that-is-if-the-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Perhaps peace is not, after all, something you work for, or 'fight for.' It is indeed 'fighting for peace' that starts all the wars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/perhaps-peace-is-not-after-all-something-you-work-for-or-fight-for-it/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [God doesn't start wars. That's the greatest load of nonsense. Mankind starts wars. 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