Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.
Robert E. LeeRead
It is good that war is so horrible, or we might grow to like it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The horrors of war should remind us of its brutality, preventing us from becoming desensitized to violence.
Robert E. Lee's quote suggests that the inherent brutality and suffering associated with war serve as a crucial reminder of its reality. If war were to be perceived as glorious or appealing, humanity might lose its moral compass and become complacent towards the very idea of violence, ultimately accepting it as a norm rather than an abhorrent failure of society.
Themes
WarHorrorViolenceMoralityPeace
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing the ethics of war, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of understanding its consequences.
More from Robert E. Lee
All quotes βLife Insurance trusts I consider sacred. To hazard the property of the dead & to lose the scanty earnings of fathers & husbands, who have toiled & saved that they may leave something to their families deprived of their care & the support of their labour, is to my mind the worst of crimes.
Robert E. LeeRead
It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.
Robert E. LeeRead
So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained.
Robert E. LeeRead
Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If victorious, we will have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left for us to live for.
Robert E. LeeRead
With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army.
Robert E. LeeRead
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