"Helplessness induces hopelessness, and history attests that loss of hope and not loss of lives is what decides the issue of war"
- B. H. Liddell Hart
About this Quote
This quote by B. H. Liddell Hart recommends that the outcome of a war is not determined by the number of lives lost, however by the loss of hope. He suggests that when one side feels helpless, they end up being hopeless and this results in the eventual defeat of that side. This idea is supported by history, as many wars have been won not by the number of casualties, however by the loss of spirits and hope of the losing side. This quote is a pointer that wars are not won by physical strength alone, however by the psychological strength of the combatants. It is a reminder that hope is an effective weapon which it can be utilized to win a war. It is likewise a pointer that in order to win a war, one should not just be physically strong, however also psychologically strong.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die"