If truth is the main casualty in war, ambiguity is another.
Paul FussellRead
The worst thing about war was the sitting around and wondering what you were doing morally.
Interpretation
War induces profound moral dilemmas and uncertainty in individuals about the righteousness of their actions.
Paul Fussell's quote reflects the internal struggle faced by individuals during wartime, where the physical act of fighting is often overshadowed by the deep moral contemplation of its justification. The 'sitting around and wondering' suggests that the emotional toll of war extends beyond the battlefield, requiring individuals to confront and question their values, ethics, and the consequences of their actions.
In practice
During a speech about moral choices in conflicts, one could mention this quote to emphasize the psychological impact of war.
If truth is the main casualty in war, ambiguity is another.
It's said that when we die, the four elements - earth, air, fire and water - dissolve one by one, each into the other, and finally just dissolve into space. But while we're living, we share the energy that makes everything, from a blade of grass to an elephant, grow and live and then inevitably wear out and die. This energy, this life force, creates the whole world.
For you all think God is one who rewards good and punishes evil, but I say to you that God is one who loves you and has compassion for everyone. You just have to pray to Him and believe in Him. He will always be your guiding light.
I don't think you can measure wealth in dollars and cents. I really don't believe that at all because there are some things that money cannot buy. One of them is health. And the other is security in your relationships and friends.
My position is that I am personally opposed to abortion, but I don't think I have a right to impose my view on the rest of society. I've thought a lot about it, and my position probably doesn't please anyone. I think the government should stay out completely. I will not vote to overturn the Court's decision. I will not vote to curtail a woman's right to choose abortion. But I will also not vote to use federal funds to fund abortion.
After all, what was the whole wide world but a place for people to yearn for their heart's impossible desires, for those desires to become entrenched in defiance of logic, plausibility, and even the passage of time, as eternal as polished marble.
The vitality of thought is in adventure. Idea's won't keep. Something must be done about them. When the idea is new, its custodians have fervour, live for it, and, if need be, die for it. Their inheritors receive the idea, perhaps now strong and successful, but without inheriting the fervour; so the idea settles down to a comfortable middle age, turns senile, and dies.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.