An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.
William Tecumseh ShermanRead
You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the brutal reality of war and suggests that its horrors cannot be overstated.
In this quote, William Tecumseh Sherman conveys that he fully understands and acknowledges the extreme and often devastating nature of warfare. By stating that he cannot qualify war in harsher terms, he implies that the consequences and atrocities of war are profound and should not be sanitized or diminished. His perspective reflects a somber recognition of the tragic realities faced by those involved in conflict, urging a deeper contemplation of its impact on humanity.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the ethical implications of military actions.
An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.
Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.
I think I understand what military fame is; to be killed on the field of battle and have your name misspelled in the newspapers.
The young bloods of the South: sons of planters, lawyers about towns, good billiard-players and sportsmen, men who never did any work and never will... They are splendid riders, first-rate shots and utterly reckless. These men must all be killed or employed by us before we can hope for peace.
You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end. It is all folly, madness, a crime against civilization! You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about.
War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers.
So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' - then you should abandon them.
They made me see that the world was beautiful if you were beautiful, and that you couldn't get unless you gave. And you had to give without wanting to get.
The man whose life is devoted to paperwork has lost the initiative. He is dealing with things that are brought to his notice, having ceased to notice anything for himself.
They lie deadly that tell you have good faces.
Any who may wish to profit himself alone from the knowledge given him, rather than serve others through the knowledge he has gained from learning, is betraying knowledge and rendering it worthless
I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.
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