Gradually I came to realize that people will more readily swallow lies than truth, as if the taste of lies was homey, appetizing: a habit.
After the desperate years of their own war, after six years of repression inside Spain and six years of horror in exile, these people remain intact in spirit. They are armed with a transcendent faith; they have never won, and yet they have never accepted defeat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the resilience and unwavering spirit of individuals facing adversity.
Martha Gellhorn's quote emphasizes the remarkable strength and perseverance of people who have endured tremendous hardship and repression. Despite facing years of conflict and exile, their spirit remains unbroken, showcasing a profound sense of faith and an unwillingness to concede defeat. This resilience in the face of ongoing struggles illustrates the power of hope and determination, suggesting that true victory lies not in the absence of challenges but in the unwavering spirit to confront them.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming obstacles, one might quote Gellhorn to illustrate the power of enduring spirit.
More from Martha Gellhorn
All quotes →It would be a bitter cosmic joke if we destroy ourselves due to atrophy of the imagination.
the ends never justify the means because IT never ends.
Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.
I followed the war wherever I could reach it.
Thousand got away to other countries; thousands returned to Spain tempted by false promises of kindness. By the tens of thousands, these Spaniards died of neglect in the concentration camps.
Similar quotes
Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing.
Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.
I didn't realize that the platform could be this big until Colin Kaepernick first took a knee. When he did that, that was kind of an 'aha' moment for me.
We must confront persecution faced by many Christian communities and the intolerance that plagues us. We must overcome anti-Semitism and the prejudice that divides us. We must defeat Islamophobia and the fears that weaken us.
I became bold because I had absolutely nothing to lose: neither honors, nor earnings, nor friends. I had to find myself anew and rely only on myself, because I could rely on no one else. My form is my solitude.
The world needs heroes and it's better they be harmless men like me than villains like Hitler