We've learned how to destroy, but not to create; how to waste, but not to build; how to kill men, but not how to save them; how to die, but seldom how to live.
Omar N. BradleyRead
We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights humanity's greater understanding of conflict than of harmonious living.
Omar N. Bradley's quote illustrates the irony of human knowledge, emphasizing that while we have extensively studied the nature of war and violence, our comprehension of peace and the essence of living is far less developed. This observation prompts a reflection on the priorities and values of society, suggesting the need to invest more in understanding peaceful coexistence rather than focusing predominantly on conflict.
Themes
PeaceWarLivingUnderstandingHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a peace conference, to stress the importance of understanding peace.
More from Omar N. Bradley
All quotes βIf you will help run our government in the American way, then there will never be any danger of our government running America in the wrong way.
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Wars can be prevented just as surely as they can be provoked, and we who fail to prevent them must share the guilt for the dead.
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The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led. This is the ultimate test of his effectiveness.
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We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the sermon on the mount.
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I am convinced that the best service a retired general can perform is to turn in his tongue along with his suit and to mothball his opinions.
Omar N. BradleyRead
Similar quotes
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Each side has legitimate aspirations - and that's part of what makes peace so hard. And the deadlock will only be broken when each side learns to stand in the other's shoes; each side can see the world through the other's eyes. That's what we should be encouraging. That's what we should be promoting.
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War will stop when we no longer praise it, or give it any attention at all. Peace will come wherever it is sincerely invited.
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Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution.
Aung San Suu KyiRead
The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are youβll do your best thinking that way.
Harry S. TrumanRead