Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous.

Shaw’s aphorism reverses the common assumption that peace is the “easy” alternative to war. War can feel straightforward because it simplifies moral choices into loyalty and opposition, and it mobilizes societies through discipline, propaganda, and emergency powers. Peace, by contrast, demands sustained effort: negotiation, compromise, patience with ambiguity, and the slow work of repairing institutions and relationships. The line also hints at Shaw’s broader skepticism about romanticizing conflict; he suggests that choosing peace is not mere passivity but a strenuous ethical and political practice. In this view, peace is superior precisely because it requires higher civic maturity and self-restraint.