What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Our way of getting an army able to fight the German army is to declare war on Germany just as if we had such an army, and then trust to the appalling resultant peril and disaster to drive us into wholesale enlistment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the necessity of taking bold actions in the face of dire circumstances.
George Bernard Shaw reflects on the urgent need to rally a nation in times of conflict. By suggesting that declaring war can stimulate enlistment, he highlights the interplay between fear, action, and the challenges that compel individuals to rise to the occasion, illustrating that sometimes drastic measures can lead to necessary responses.
Themes
WarCourageActionEnlistmentPerilDisaster
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech advocating for military support, one might reference this quote to underscore the importance of decisive action in critical moments.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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