Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) German philosopher
A lecture at Königsberg (1775), as quoted in A New Dictionary of Quotations on Historical Principles from Ancient and Modern Sources (1946) by H. L. Mencken, p. 1017
“He said they that were serious in ridiculous matters would be ridiculous in serious affairs.”
— Plutarch
Cato the Elder
Roman Apophthegms
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Plutarch251
ancient Greek historian and philosopher 46–127Related quotes
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“War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men.”
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La guerre! C’est une chose trop grave pour la confier à des militaires.
Variant translation: War is too important a matter to be left to the military.
As quoted in Soixante Anneés d'Histoire Française (1932) by Georges Suarez
War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers.
As quoted in Clemenceau and the Third Republic (1946) by John Hampden Jackson, p. 228; this has also become commonly paraphrased as: War is too important to be left to the generals.
Post-Prime Ministerial