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"The purpose of war is not to die for your country. The purpose of war is to ensure that the other guy dies for his country".

- General Patton.

I noticed you cleaned up the quote a bit. Probably a good thing. [:D]

ORIGINAL: Tallyho!

"The purpose of war is not to die for your country. The purpose of war is to ensure that the other guy dies for his country".

- General Patton.

"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time"
 
Chesty Puller, afetr being surrounded by the chinesse voluntary force....

ORIGINAL: Javakamp

I'm not sure of the original source but...

"No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy."

Check my sig line[;)]

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

Last words of General John Sedgwick, killed at the battle of Spotslyvania. 1864

ORIGINAL: crsutton

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

Last words of General John Sedgwick, killed at the battle of Spotslyvania. 1864

i'd always heard it was :

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..." [:D]

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way.
John Paul Jones

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

It's a pity that quote holds little water

ORIGINAL: Yakface

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

It's a pity that quote holds little water

[:D] I don't know about that...ever eaten at a Navy (insert your favorite branch of service here) chowhall? [:D]

A sensible one. From Shakespear's 'Henry V'

"For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!"

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

ORIGINAL: crsutton

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

Last words of General John Sedgwick, killed at the battle of Spotslyvania. 1864

i'd always heard it was :

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..." [:D]

Yes, that was the way I first heard it....but it turns out that he survived the remark by at least a minute or two.....[;)]

ORIGINAL: Yakface

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

It's a pity that quote holds little water

I think it holds a lot of water.....it is the definition of experience.

“Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives,  brains save both."
Erwin Rommel

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it."  R E Lee
 
 
And my most favorite and the one I think to be the most profound.
 
"War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it."   Sherman

"A collision at sea can ruin your whole day" Thucydides (c. 460 BC – c. 395 BC )

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

ORIGINAL: Yakface

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

It's a pity that quote holds little water

I think it holds a lot of water.....it is the definition of experience.

Without turning an amusing little thread into doom and gloom......lets take a few examples -

chronic disease

Losing limbs

suffering brain damage

Abuse as a child often has an extremely detrimental effect on the self belief of the adult

You would have to have a very unusual definition of 'stronger' to fit these into Nietzsche's quote. I'm sure there are thousands of other examples involving drugs, trauma (physical and mental) and human biology.

ORIGINAL: Yakface

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

ORIGINAL: Yakface




It's a pity that quote holds little water

I think it holds a lot of water.....it is the definition of experience.

Without turning an amusing little thread into doom and gloom......lets take a few examples -

chronic disease

Losing limbs

suffering brain damage

Abuse as a child often has an extremely detrimental effect on the self belief of the adult

You would have to have a very unusual definition of 'stronger' to fit these into Nietzsche's quote. I'm sure there are thousands of other examples involving drugs, trauma (physical and mental) and human biology.

And for each of those situations, I can probably find an example of someone that has became a stronger person because of those life situation. Not everyone can mentally overcome the hardships that life throws at you, but a lot of people use these "hardships" to fight harder.

An example:

"In August 1921, while the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Roosevelt contracted an illness, at the time believed to be polio, which resulted in Roosevelt's total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. For the rest of his life, Roosevelt refused to accept that he was permanently paralyzed. He tried a wide range of therapies, including hydrotherapy, and, in 1926, he purchased a resort at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he founded a hydrotherapy center for the treatment of polio patients which still operates as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. After he became President, he helped to found the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes). His leadership in this organization is one reason he is commemorated on the dime."

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

ORIGINAL: Yakface

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled




I think it holds a lot of water.....it is the definition of experience.

Without turning an amusing little thread into doom and gloom......lets take a few examples -

chronic disease

Losing limbs

suffering brain damage

Abuse as a child often has an extremely detrimental effect on the self belief of the adult

You would have to have a very unusual definition of 'stronger' to fit these into Nietzsche's quote. I'm sure there are thousands of other examples involving drugs, trauma (physical and mental) and human biology.

And for each of those situations, I can probably find an example of someone that has became a stronger person because of those life situation. Not everyone can mentally overcome the hardships that life throws at you, but a lot of people use these "hardships" to fight harder.

An example:

"In August 1921, while the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Roosevelt contracted an illness, at the time believed to be polio, which resulted in Roosevelt's total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. For the rest of his life, Roosevelt refused to accept that he was permanently paralyzed. He tried a wide range of therapies, including hydrotherapy, and, in 1926, he purchased a resort at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he founded a hydrotherapy center for the treatment of polio patients which still operates as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. After he became President, he helped to found the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes). His leadership in this organization is one reason he is commemorated on the dime."

Undoubtedly true. When dealing with large numbers of people....the entire population of the world..... there is always something to support everyones position.

However:
a) The statement is blanket in nature - ie 'all' that doesn't kill us makes 'everyone' stronger. Patently not so.

b) The vast majority of severely disabling conditions/experiences will have a debilitiating effect far in excess of their benefit (needing a very dubious interpretation of 'stronger')

It's probably best interrpretted as 'try to make the best of even a bad situation' or 'always look on the bright side of life' (de-dum, de-dum-de-dum-de-dum).

ORIGINAL: heenanc

favourite military quote???

Being British one that I've alway found propelling is ...

You're British and it's not Shakespear's "once more into the breach, dear friends" or that "band of brothers" business; or was the Bard just taking license.

(Note my locale)