“But my object in writing this letter is not to ventilate my grievances. It is to place before you my reaction to the war situation. The latest development seems to be most serious. Want of truthful news is tantalizing. I suppose it is inevitable. But assuming that things are as black as they appear to be for the Allied cause, is it not time to sue for peace for the sake of humanity? I do not believe Herr Hitler to be as bad as he is portrayed. He might even have been a friendly power as he may still be. It is due to suffering humanity that this mad slaughter should stop.”
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About this quote
War pulls people into casting an enemy as pure evil and fighting on well past any purpose. The pull here runs the other way: refuse the caricature, and weigh the ongoing suffering against whatever a 'win' would actually add. Ending the harm can matter more than the victory itself.
When to use it
- A manager defuses a feud between two teams by refusing to name either side the villain, focusing on stopping the damage.
- Two neighbors drop a property lawsuit that is draining both families rather than fight on to 'win' the principle.
- A divorcing couple settles quickly for the children's sake instead of prolonging a battle each could keep waging.