Measured in time of transport and communication, the whole round globe is now smaller than a small European country was a hundred years ago.
John Boyd OrrRead
It is said that those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. It may well be that a war neurosis stirred up by propaganda of fear and hatred is the prelude to destruction.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Destruction often follows madness stirred by fear and propaganda.
John Boyd Orr's quote suggests that when individuals or societies are driven to madness—often through fear and manipulative propaganda—they may be set on a path toward self-destruction. It highlights the dangers of being consumed by emotional turmoil, especially in the context of war and conflict, indicating that this loss of rational thought can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Themes
MadnessDestructionPropagandaFearWarNeurosis
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the psychological effects of war on soldiers.
More from John Boyd Orr
All quotes →There can be no peace in the world so long as a large proportion of the population lack the necessities of life and believe that a change of the political and economic system will make them available. World peace must be based on world plenty.
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As we have seen, the wireless and the airplane have made the world so small and nations so dependent on each other that the only alternative to war is the United States of the World.
John Boyd OrrRead
When the fabric of society is so rigid that it cannot change quickly enough, adjustments are achieved by social unrest and revolutions.
John Boyd OrrRead
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