--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: so we were playing all this game then and…" description: "\"“so we were playing all this game then and thinking that to be a soldier was to be the best thing in the world because gun is looking so powerful and t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c1/uzodinma-iweala-7990_child-soldiers_so-we-were-playing-all-this-game-then-an_2415428.jpg" --- # so we were playing all this game then and thinking that to… ![“so we were playing all this game then and thinking that to be a soldier was to be the best thing in the world because gun is looking so powerful and the men in movie are looking so powerful and strong when they are killing people,but I am knowing now that to be a soldier is only to be weak and not…” quote by Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c1/uzodinma-iweala-7990_child-soldiers_so-we-were-playing-all-this-game-then-an_2415428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c1/uzodinma-iweala-7990_child-soldiers_so-we-were-playing-all-this-game-then-an_2415428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c1/uzodinma-iweala-7990_child-soldiers_so-we-were-playing-all-this-game-then-an_2415428.jpg) > ““so we were playing all this game then and thinking that to be a soldier was to be the best thing in the world because gun is looking so powerful and the men in movie are looking so powerful and strong when they are killing people,but I am knowing now that to be a soldier is only to be weak and not strong, and to have no food to eat and not to eat whatever you want, and also to have people making you do thing that you are not wanting to do and not to be doing whatever you are wanting which is what they are doing in movie. But I am only knowing this now because I am soldier now.”” [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker realizes that the romanticized image of soldiers is false; real military life is harsh, restrictive, and dehumanizing. **In simple terms:** Soldier life is hard, not heroic. Key Takeaway Recognize the gap between myth and reality. Themes war disillusionment humanity power freedom Mood sad reflective critical Type personal reflective critical When to use this quote - reading war memoirs - discussing veteran experiences - examining media portrayals - supporting soldiers - advocating for humane policies Key Concepts military service media influence psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape our view of soldiers? - What can be done to improve soldiers' lives? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize personal experience and ignore varied soldier experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“And now the woman is praying to God…… I am laughing laughing because God is forgetting everybody in this country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/and-now-the-woman-is-praying-to-god-i-am-laughing-laughing-because/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Coming up through the ranks of any calling can be rough, but that battered soul who survives the early years of courting the comic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/coming-up-through-the-ranks-of-any-calling-can-be-rough-but-that/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [I was once a strong soldier, now I'm weak and wounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-once-a-strong-soldier-now-i-m-weak-and-wounded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-natural-formation-of-the-country-is-the-soldier-s-best-ally/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [What a battle a man must fight everywhere to maintain his standing army of thoughts, and march with them in orderly array throughthe always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-battle-a-man-must-fight-everywhere-to-maintain-his-standing/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Life was enough to scare the shit out of the most decorated soldier, and the best were scared to death and fought accordingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-robinson/life-was-enough-to-scare-the-shit-out-of-the-most-decorated-soldier/) [Maggie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-robinson/) > [“I thought killing was easy for you," said Laurent. His voice was rather quiet. "I thought you did it without thinking." "I'm a soldier,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/i-thought-killing-was-easy-for-you-said-laurent-his-voice-was-rather/) [S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) > [“I was so happy that my mother, father, and two brothers had somehow found one another. Perhaps my mother and father have gotten back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-beah/i-was-so-happy-that-my-mother-father-and-two-brothers-had-somehow/) [Ishmael Beah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-beah/) > [“I'm walking walking walking to where the sun is setting. I'm looking at it and wanting to catch it in my hand and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/i-m-walking-walking-walking-to-where-the-sun-is-setting-i-m-looking/) [uzodinma iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [“We took a bowl each and started eating. He went back into the little room, and by the time he returned to the table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-beah/we-took-a-bowl-each-and-started-eating-he-went-back-into-the-little/) [Ishmael Beah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-beah/) > [“These boys have no idea what a child’s play is, childhood is an endangered and fleeting phase of life for everyone around here.” –Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-anyasi/these-boys-have-no-idea-what-a-child-s-play-is-childhood-is-an/) [Ray Anyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-anyasi/) > [Kira is evil ... There's no denying that ... But lately I've been starting to think of it more like this ... The real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/kira-is-evil-there-s-no-denying-that-but-lately-i-ve-been-starting-to/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [A lot of people heard 'Murda Business' and thought it was about killing people, trying to be tough and hardcore. If you actually listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/a-lot-of-people-heard-murda-business-and-thought-it-was-about-killing/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [What? Had a dry spell of killing people lately? (Susan) As a matter of fact, yes. If it doesn’t end soon, I might get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/what-had-a-dry-spell-of-killing-people-lately-susan-as-a-matter-of/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) ## More by Uzodinma Iweala > [Lagos is a fascinatingly infuriating place that its residents love - and love to hate. Licence plates on cars here proudly display the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/lagos-is-a-fascinatingly-infuriating-place-that-its-residents-love/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Around the world, our cities are not the idealised open, accessible, and cosmopolitan spaces of our dreams. More often than not, they are sectioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/around-the-world-our-cities-are-not-the-idealised-open-accessible-and/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [We grew up going to church, and I believe in God. 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Writing is such a solitary activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-ability-to-do-good-writing-is/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/africa-wants-the-world-to-acknowledge-that-through-fair-partnerships/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [The first time I ever cast a vote in my 1992 Blessed Sacrament School poll, I voted for Ross Perot because - Ross Perot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/the-first-time-i-ever-cast-a-vote-in-my-1992-blessed-sacrament-school/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Sometimes you just wanna go out, see your action movie, be done with it, come home. 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He went back into the little room, and by the time he returned to the table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-beah/we-took-a-bowl-each-and-started-eating-he-went-back-into-the-little/) [Ishmael Beah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-beah/) Browse all 6 Child-soldiers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“so we were playing all this game then and thinking that to be a soldier was to be the best thing in the world because gun is looking so powerful and the men in movie are looking so powerful and strong when they are killing people,but I am knowing now that to be a soldier is only to be weak and not strong, and to have no food to eat and not to eat whatever you want, and also to have people making you do thing that you are not wanting to do and not to be doing whatever you are wanting which is what they are doing in movie. 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