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I would rather die a thousand deaths than surrender.
Robert E. Lee
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote expresses the idea that surrender is worse than facing extreme hardship or death.

Robert E. Lee's quote reflects a deep commitment to resilience and the valor in standing firm in one's beliefs. It emphasizes that the act of surrender, in the face of adversity, is a fate not worth choosing, suggesting that courage and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds are preferable to capitulation, no matter the cost.

Themes

CourageSurrenderDeathResiliencePerseverance

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about overcoming challenges during a motivational seminar.

More from Robert E. Lee

Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.
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Life Insurance trusts I consider sacred. To hazard the property of the dead & to lose the scanty earnings of fathers & husbands, who have toiled & saved that they may leave something to their families deprived of their care & the support of their labour, is to my mind the worst of crimes.
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It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.
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So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained.
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Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If victorious, we will have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left for us to live for.
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With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army.
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