"Everything, everything in war is barbaric... But the worst barbarity of war is that it forces men collectively to commit acts against which individually they would revolt with their whole being"

Ellen Key's quote highlights the dehumanizing and damaging nature of war. She argues that every element of war is barbaric, destroying both human lives and the natural surroundings. However, Key determines that the most devastating result of war is that it obliges people to dedicate acts that they would never ever consider otherwise. The insidiousness of war lies in its ability to turn common individuals into perpetrators of violence, forcing them to betray their own values. The quote exposes that the repercussions of war extend beyond the physical damage and injury; it also deteriorates the very worths that hold society together.