--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not believe war the most certain…" description: "\"I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/978/thomas-jefferson-43_believe_i-do-not-believe-war-the-most-certain-me_3218352.jpg" --- # I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing… ![“I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/978/thomas-jefferson-43_believe_i-do-not-believe-war-the-most-certain-me_3218352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/978/thomas-jefferson-43_believe_i-do-not-believe-war-the-most-certain-me_3218352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/978/thomas-jefferson-43_believe_i-do-not-believe-war-the-most-certain-me_3218352.jpg) > “I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect.” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence is a weak tool for upholding values; peaceful influence works better when coordinated and timely. **In simple terms:** War is ineffective for enforcing ideas; peaceful actions succeed. Key Takeaway Use peaceful, coordinated actions instead of war. Themes peace politics influence nonviolence Mood thoughtful hopeful Type political ethical strategic When to use this quote - diplomacy - international negotiations - public campaigns - civil society initiatives Key Concepts soft power collective action ethical governance Questions to Reflect On - How can nations build effective peaceful coalitions? - What are the limits of nonviolent influence? A Different Perspective Peaceful methods may be slower and require broad consensus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) [Coercions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercions-5842611/) [Coercions Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercions-power-6040711/) [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Enforcing Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enforcing-principles-6040709/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peaceable Coercions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peaceable-coercions-6040708/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Principles Peaceable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles-peaceable-6040710/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [ \[P\]rogressivism is a top-down, continent-wide tissue of taxes, mandates, and other coercions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/p-rogressivism-is-a-top-down-continent-wide-tissue-of-taxes-mandates/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [ What has been the effect of \[religious\] coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-has-been-the-effect-of-religious-coercion-to-make-one-half-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/difference-of-opinion-is-advantageous-in-religion-the-several-sects-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-legitimate-powers-of-government-extend-to-such-acts-only-as-are-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-error-seems-not-sufficiently-eradicated-that-the-operations-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/millions-of-innocent-men-women-and-children-since-the-introduction-of-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, and imprisoned, yet we have not advanced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/millions-of-innocent-men-women-and-children-since-the-introduction-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [What has been the effect of religious coercion? To make half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-has-been-the-effect-of-religious-coercion-to-make-half-the-world/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/where-the-preamble-declares-that-coercion-is-a-departure-from-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitors? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/subject-opinion-to-coercion-whom-will-you-make-your-inquisitors/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-has-been-the-effect-of-coercion-to-make-one-half-the-world-fools/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [“Love is not coercion, and the state is only an agent of coercion. It has no other function and can work no other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mcdurmon/love-is-not-coercion-and-the-state-is-only-an-agent-of-coercion-it/) [Joel McDurmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mcdurmon/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More by Thomas Jefferson > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... 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After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Knowledge is power...knowled ge is safety...knowle dge is happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/knowledge-is-power-knowled-ge-is-safety-knowle-dge-is-happiness/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/nothing-but-free-argument-raillery-and-even-ridicule-will-preserve/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-people-are-afraid-of-the-government-that-s-tyranny-but-when/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Explore all 2,098 Thomas Jefferson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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