Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
Woodrow WilsonRead
Once lead this people into war, and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of our national life, infecting Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War can erode the values of tolerance and compassion in society.
This quote by Woodrow Wilson suggests that engaging a nation in war can lead to a cultural shift where tolerance and empathy are replaced by brutality and ruthlessness. As society becomes more accustomed to conflict, these negative traits can permeate all levels of governance and daily life, ultimately altering the fabric of the nation itself.
Themes
WarToleranceBrutalitySocietyNational Life
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the impact of war on social values.
More from Woodrow Wilson
All quotes →Since trade ignores national boundaries and the manufacturer insists on having the world as a market, the flag of his nation must follow him, and the doors of the nations which are closed against him must be battered down. Concessions obtained by financiers must be safeguarded by ministers of state, even if the sovereignty of unwilling nations be outraged in the process. Colonies must be obtained or planted, in order that no useful corner of the world may be overlooked or left unused.
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The history of liberty is the history of limitations on the power of government, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we are resisting the processes of death, because concentration of power is what always precedes the destruction of human liberties.
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The only use of an obstacle is to be overcome. All that an obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them, but to challenge them.
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