Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
John SteinbeckRead
Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses the difference between independent thinkers and followers in the context of conflict and war.
John Steinbeck contrasts 'free men' and 'herd men' to illustrate that while free individuals may not initiate conflicts, they possess the resilience and depth to endure beyond immediate losses, thus ultimately shaping the broader outcome of wars. In contrast, herd men, who follow leaders without question, may achieve temporary victories in battles but lack the independence and vision required to win the larger, more significant wars, reflecting a profound commentary on leadership and human nature.
Themes
FreedomLeadershipWarConflictIndependence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about leadership qualities, one might quote this to highlight the importance of independent thinking.
More from John Steinbeck
All quotes βAt one point, as Samuel urges Adam to raise his boys well regardless of the blood that might be in them, Adam tells him, "You can't make a race horse of a pig." Samuel replies, "No, but you can make a very fast pig.
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And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread. The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.
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The comfortable people in tight houses felt pity at first, and then distaste, and finally hatred for the migrant people.
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People do not want advice - they want corroboration.
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It is one of the triumphs of the human that he can know a thing and still not believe it.
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