---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surprising as it may seem, norms matter…"
description: "\"Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell that is war.\" — Zeynep Tufekci"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg"
---

#  Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell…

![“Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell that is war.” quote by Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg)

> “Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell that is war.”

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

## About This Quote

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

Even in war, social norms shape behavior and expectations, influencing conduct.

**In simple terms:** Norms still matter in war.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address norms in conflict.

Themes

war norms behavior

Mood

serious analytical

Type

academic thought‑provoking

When to use this quote

- military training
- humanitarian aid

Key Concepts

sociology ethics conflict studies

Questions to Reflect On

- How do norms persist in chaos?
- Can norms be changed during war?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Norms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norms/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [“There is hell and there is war. The two are difficult to distinguish, but hopefully you’ll never know the sting of either. That’s why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-domet/there-is-hell-and-there-is-war-the-two-are-difficult-to-distinguish/)

[Sarah Domet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-domet/)

> [Peace is only better than war when it's not hell too. War being hell makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/peace-is-only-better-than-war-when-it-s-not-hell-too-war-being-hell/)

[Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/)

> [“War is hell and waiting is hell and war is waiting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-burana/war-is-hell-and-waiting-is-hell-and-war-is-waiting/)

[lily burana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-burana/)

> [“War isn't hell. War is war, and Hell is hell, and not the two, war is a lot worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-a-s-h-captain-b-f-peirce/war-isn-t-hell-war-is-war-and-hell-is-hell-and-not-the-two-war-is-a/)

M\*A\*S\*H Captain B. F. Peirce

> [“What the hell war isn’t unpopular?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eyman/what-the-hell-war-isn-t-unpopular/)

[Scott Eyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eyman/)

> [Cherry Money Baby is fabulous in every sense of the word! It’s earthy and smart and moving, laugh-out-loud funny, surprising, inventive, suspenseful, and —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wynne-jones/cherry-money-baby-is-fabulous-in-every-sense-of-the-word-it-s-earthy/)

[Tim Wynne-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wynne-jones/)

> [“The carnistic schema, which twists information so that nonsense seems to make perfect sense, also explains why we fail to see the absurdities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-joy/the-carnistic-schema-which-twists-information-so-that-nonsense-seems/)

[Melanie Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-joy/)

> [“Every great philosopher, in their own way, questioned the fundamental assumptions that were present in the thinking of their time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-west/every-great-philosopher-in-their-own-way-questioned-the-fundamental/)

Steven West

> [Norms and limits matter. Voters like outside-the-box thinking and innovation, but they like reliability and expertise more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/norms-and-limits-matter-voters-like-outside-the-box-thinking-and/)

[Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/)

> [We've never lived in an environment in which it has been so easy to capture information and share it. That fact that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/we-ve-never-lived-in-an-environment-in-which-it-has-been-so-easy-to/)

[Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/)

> [For to change the norms, the very foci of attention, of a cultural system is a difficult task - far more complex than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-coleman/for-to-change-the-norms-the-very-foci-of-attention-of-a-cultural/)

[James S. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-coleman/)

> [“The trick for introverts is to honor their styles instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/the-trick-for-introverts-is-to-honor-their-styles-instead-of-allowing/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [The domestic policy of any president, U.S. or otherwise, is his or her own concern, as long as democratic norms are followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/the-domestic-policy-of-any-president-u-s-or-otherwise-is-his-or-her/)

[Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/)

> [All of us, as bodies, are in the active position of figuring out how to live with and against the constructions - or norms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/all-of-us-as-bodies-are-in-the-active-position-of-figuring-out-how-to/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [If we speak calmly, in a businesslike fashion, let me draw your attention to the fact that Russia supplies arms to the legitimate government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/if-we-speak-calmly-in-a-businesslike-fashion-let-me-draw-your/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

## More by Zeynep Tufekci

> [For many people, tear gas is their first interaction with state violence. It's the first time they've been treated like an insect, usually by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/for-many-people-tear-gas-is-their-first-interaction-with-state/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [It seems to me that states (and corporations) have become increasingly secretive and opaque, while people are increasingly exposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/it-seems-to-me-that-states-and-corporations-have-become-increasingly/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Social media is enhancing human connectivity as people can converse in ways that were once not possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/social-media-is-enhancing-human-connectivity-as-people-can-converse/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Bike-friendly cities provide some of the best quality of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/bike-friendly-cities-provide-some-of-the-best-quality-of-life/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [In the Middle Ages, psychosis may have involved visions of the devil, snakes, or witches. In the 21st century, it can involve dressing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/in-the-middle-ages-psychosis-may-have-involved-visions-of-the-devil/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Very few of us consider strength-training as essential exercise, but it is. It is especially crucial as one ages, because a natural part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/very-few-of-us-consider-strength-training-as-essential-exercise-but/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [That is the key strength of independent academia: we can speak up in spite of corporate or government interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/that-is-the-key-strength-of-independent-academia-we-can-speak-up-in/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [When people confidently announce that once robots come for our jobs, we'll find something else to do like we always did, they are drawing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/when-people-confidently-announce-that-once-robots-come-for-our-jobs/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [In fact, commercial aviation is so safe because redundancy is mandated by regulation and built into every level, but our commercial-flying experience is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/in-fact-commercial-aviation-is-so-safe-because-redundancy-is-mandated/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Condemnation campaigns can and do work, even in conditions where one thinks there are no morals left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/condemnation-campaigns-can-and-do-work-even-in-conditions-where-one/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [The first time I was teargassed, in Istanbul, Turkey, I thought I was going to die. Overwhelming pain flooded my eyes, nose, throat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/the-first-time-i-was-teargassed-in-istanbul-turkey-i-thought-i-was/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Silicon Valley engineers and employees may well be overwhelmingly liberal, but Facebook is run by the algorithms they program, which optimize for the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/silicon-valley-engineers-and-employees-may-well-be-overwhelmingly/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Ability to disseminate one's ideas on the Internet is now a sine qua non of inclusion in the global public sphere. However, the Internet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/ability-to-disseminate-one-s-ideas-on-the-internet-is-now-a-sine-qua/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [Data is immensely appealing to me as a social scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/data-is-immensely-appealing-to-me-as-a-social-scientist/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

> [In our increasingly connected world, every virus is but a hop or two away: almost all humans are close enough to someone who flies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/in-our-increasingly-connected-world-every-virus-is-but-a-hop-or-two/)

[Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

[Explore all 101 Zeynep Tufekci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/)

## More Even quotes

> [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/)

[Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/)

> [If you're a top 10 guy you should pay a top 10 guy or even a top 5 guy what he deserves, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/if-you-re-a-top-10-guy-you-should-pay-a-top-10-guy-or-even-a-top-5/)

[Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/)

> [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/)

[Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/)

> [Even after years of observing, a new picture of Uranus from Keck Observatory can stop me in my tracks and make me say, 'Wow!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-hammel/even-after-years-of-observing-a-new-picture-of-uranus-from-keck/)

[Heidi Hammel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-hammel/)

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/)

[Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/)

> [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/)

[Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/)

> [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/)

[Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/)

> [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/)

[Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/)

> [Like in nature, I like things which are based on a few simple principles, even though their manifestation can be very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabiola-gianotti/like-in-nature-i-like-things-which-are-based-on-a-few-simple/)

[Fabiola Gianotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabiola-gianotti/)

> [You can't even tell, but a lot of the time your favourite rappers are wearing a bunch of fake jewellery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-mensa/you-can-t-even-tell-but-a-lot-of-the-time-your-favourite-rappers-are/)

[Vic Mensa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-mensa/)

> [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/)

[Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/)

> [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/)

[Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/)

Browse all 8,987 Even quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell that is war.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Zeynep Tufekci"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-even-in-the-hell-that-is-war/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Even"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-even-in-the-hell-that-is-war/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/zeynep-tufekci-5405_even_surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-e_1415349.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Surprising as it may seem, norms matter, even in the hell that is war.” — Zeynep Tufekci",
                "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": "Zeynep Tufekci",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Surprising as it may seem, norms...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-even-in-the-hell-that-is-war/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/surprising-as-it-may-seem-norms-matter-even-in-the-hell-that-is-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
