Anyone who is a fan of the X-Men movies has heard the phrase “peace was never an option” before, as it was said by one of the main characters of that franchise.
Ever since, it has become a common saying in gaming culture, and all across the Internet.
But what does the phrase “peace was never an option” actually mean? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The phrase “peace was never an option” is one that indicates violence. It is mainly used as a response to something another person has said. In video game culture, players who turn against their teammates may respond with “peace was never an option” when their teammates ask why they did what they did, meaning “we were never actually friends” or “this was always going to happen”.
This phrase is mainly used to indicate when there is going to be violence in a situation. One person may say, “I don’t want to fight them” and another would respond with “peace was never an option”, in which case, this would mean, “this was inevitable”. It can also be used in much more common contexts.
Say you steal the last piece of someone’s pizza, and they respond “peace was never an option” when you try to apologize for doing so. That person is about to fight you over that pizza. More information can be found in the video (here).
Example Usage
“You ate my sandwich. Peace was never an option.”
“I know we were teammates, but only one of us can win. Peace was never an option.”
“You stole my favorite necklace. Peace was never an option.”
“Your favorite football team is a direct opponent of mine. Peace was never an option”.
Origin
This phrase was first heard in the trailer for the film, X-Men: First Class, which was released in 2011. Michael Fassbender’s character, commonly known as Magneto but whose real name is Erik Lehnsherr, says this to Charles Xavier. The trailer, which was uploaded to YouTube, currently has over 15 million views.
“Peace was never an option” was quickly adopted by Internet meme culture. In 2013, the first use of the phrase as a meme was found on the site MemeCenter, where it gained over 13,000 likes. By 2019, the phrase became widely associated with another popular meme, “Untitled Goose”. This meme depicts artwork of a goose holding some kind of weapon, usually a knife. Images of this goose with the caption “peace was never an option” exploded in popularity, and is most commonly how the phrase is still used to this day.
Phrases Similar to Peace Was Never an Option
- All’s fair in love and war.
- We were never friends.
Phrases Opposite to Peace Was Never an Option
- We are at peace.
- We are in an alliance.
- I would never attack you.
- The air is clean between us.
What is the Correct Saying?
- “Peace was never an option” it is the correct saying.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Peace Was Never an Option
“Peace was never an option” is used to indicate violence that is about to happen for what someone else did, or to explain the violence that has already occurred. Using this phrase to refer to anything other than this would be incorrect. Some ways that “peace was never an option” is used incorrectly are:
- Of course I don’t mind that you borrowed my jeans. Peace was never an option.
- No, I’m not mad at all. Peace was never an option.
- We’ll always be teammates. Peace was never an option.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Peace Was Never an Option
- You stole my favorite shoes. Peace was never an option.
- You spilled your drink on my white jeans. Peace was never an option.
- You broke my phone charger. Peace was never an option.
- When you decided to tell the teacher about my notes, I realized that peace was never an option.