---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may be that ... when the advance of…"
description: "\"It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody will want to kill anyone at all. [Referring t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg"
---

#  It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons…

![“It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody will want to kill anyone at all. &#91;Referring to the hydrogen bomb.&#93;” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg)

> “It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody will want to kill anyone at all. \[Referring to the hydrogen bomb.\]”

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

If weapons become universally destructive, humanity may choose peace over killing.

**In simple terms:** Mutual destruction could deter war.

Key Takeaway

Promote disarmament and global cooperation.

Themes

war deterrence mutual assured destruction peace technology ethics global security

Mood

cautious thoughtful

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- nuclear treaties
- peace education
- conflict resolution
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

international relations ethical philosophy technology studies

Questions to Reflect On

- Can fear of mutual destruction truly prevent conflict?
- What alternatives exist to ensure peace?

A Different Perspective

Assumes rational actors will choose peace, ignoring fear or miscalculation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Hydrogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hydrogen/) [Hydrogen bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hydrogen-bomb/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/)

## Related quotes

> [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [Whether we ever get to know about them or not, there are very probably alien civilizations that are superhuman, to the point of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/whether-we-ever-get-to-know-about-them-or-not-there-are-very-probably/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [I propose getting rid of conventional armaments and replacing them with reasonably priced hydrogen bombs that will be distributed equally throughout the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idi-amin/i-propose-getting-rid-of-conventional-armaments-and-replacing-them/)

[Idi Amin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idi-amin/)

> [ There is a further advantage \[to hydrogen bombs\]: the supply of uranium in the planet is very limited, and it might be feared that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-a-further-advantage-to-hydrogen-bombs-the-supply-of-uranium/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Teller contended, not implausibly, that hydrogen bombs keep the peace, or at least prevent thermonuclear war, because the consequences of warfare between nuclear powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/teller-contended-not-implausibly-that-hydrogen-bombs-keep-the-peace/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [The president's decision yesterday to set into motion the development of the hydrogen bomb... has placed us on the knife-edge of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-president-s-decision-yesterday-to-set-into-motion-the-development/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Had we not pursued the hydrogen bomb, there is a very real threat that we would now all be speaking Russian. I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-teller/had-we-not-pursued-the-hydrogen-bomb-there-is-a-very-real-threat-that/)

[Edward Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-teller/)

> [I happened to read recently a remark by the American nuclear physicist W. Davidson, who noted that the explosion of one hydrogen bomb releases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/i-happened-to-read-recently-a-remark-by-the-american-nuclear/)

[Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/)

> [Only the power of unbounded love practiced in regard to all human beings can defeat the forces of interhuman strife, and can prevent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pitirim-sorokin/only-the-power-of-unbounded-love-practiced-in-regard-to-all-human/)

[Pitirim Sorokin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pitirim-sorokin/)

> [It is impossible, except for theologians, to conceive of a world-wide scandal or a universe-wide scandal; the proof of this is the way people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/it-is-impossible-except-for-theologians-to-conceive-of-a-world-wide/)

[Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/)

> [A hydrogen bomb, for me, was puny compared to the Big Bang - the creation of the universe. That's what I really wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-hydrogen-bomb-for-me-was-puny-compared-to-the-big-bang-the-creation/)

[Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/)

> [Everything has changed except the way man thinks (when the hydrogen bomb was exploded)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/everything-has-changed-except-the-way-man-thinks-when-the-hydrogen/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [I lose my temper, but it's all over in a minute," said the student. "So is the hydrogen bomb," I replied. "But think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sweeting/i-lose-my-temper-but-it-s-all-over-in-a-minute-said-the-student-so-is/)

[George Sweeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sweeting/)

> [I know that I could make this world peaceful and calm, if I only could get my hands on a hydrogen bomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/i-know-that-i-could-make-this-world-peaceful-and-calm-if-i-only-could/)

[Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/)

> [Deep beneath the surface of the Sun, enormous forces were gathering. At any moment, the energies of a million hydrogen bombs might burst forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/deep-beneath-the-surface-of-the-sun-enormous-forces-were-gathering-at/)

[Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/)

## More by Winston Churchill

> [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/this-is-no-time-for-ease-and-comfort-it-is-time-to-dare-and-endure/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Never, never, never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/never-never-never-give-up/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most times he will pick himself up and carry on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/man-will-occasionally-stumble-over-the-truth-but-most-times-he-will/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [God alone knows how great it is. All I hope is that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/god-alone-knows-how-great-it-is-all-i-hope-is-that-it-is-not-too-late/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Writing a book is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/all-men-make-mistakes-but-only-wise-men-learn-from-their-mistakes/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy the clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/people-who-are-not-prepared-to-do-unpopular-things-and-defy-the/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [To meet Roosevelt with all his buoyant sparkle, his iridescence, was like opening a bottle of champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/to-meet-roosevelt-with-all-his-buoyant-sparkle-his-iridescence-was/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-am-always-ready-to-learn-although-i-do-not-always-like-being-taught/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [There are plenty of good ideas, if only they can be backed with the power of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-are-plenty-of-good-ideas-if-only-they-can-be-backed-with-the/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

[Explore all 1,366 Winston Churchill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

## More Bombs quotes

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/)

[Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/)

> [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/)

[Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/)

> [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [I call on the Iranian people: it is not too late to replace the corrupt regime and return to your glorious Persian heritage, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-call-on-the-iranian-people-it-is-not-too-late-to-replace-the/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [I am not sure why, but I have been obsessed by the Atom Bomb ever since it first happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-am-not-sure-why-but-i-have-been-obsessed-by-the-atom-bomb-ever/)

[Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/)

> [Everybody I've ever met was destroyed by a member of the opposite sex early on and that damage you took into every relationship after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/everybody-i-ve-ever-met-was-destroyed-by-a-member-of-the-opposite-sex/)

[Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/)

> [I had a very well-respected writer ask me point blank to my face whether it actually mattered to me. Now, without wanting to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-furyk/i-had-a-very-well-respected-writer-ask-me-point-blank-to-my-face/)

[Jim Furyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-furyk/)

> [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [There are cameras nowadays that have been developed to tell the difference between a squirrel and a bomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-are-cameras-nowadays-that-have-been-developed-to-tell-the/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Our military superiority is so great - it's far greater than it was in the Gulf War, and the Gulf War was over in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/our-military-superiority-is-so-great-it-s-far-greater-than-it-was-in/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

[Browse all 1,253 Bombs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody will want to kill anyone at all. [Referring to the hydrogen bomb.]",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Winston Churchill"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destructive-weapons-enables/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bombs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destructive-weapons-enables/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/winston-churchill-95_bombs_it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destr_1277663.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody…” — Winston Churchill",
                "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": "Winston Churchill",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It may be that ... when...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destructive-weapons-enables/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-may-be-that-when-the-advance-of-destructive-weapons-enables/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
