--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And afterwards, you recall little, except…" description: "\"“And afterwards, you recall little, except the blows that so nearly killed you. You work and push and stab to make an opening in their shield wall. And..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/bernard-cornwell-1849_motivational_and-afterwards-you-recall-little-except_441338.jpg" --- # And afterwards, you recall little, except the blows that… ![“And afterwards, you recall little, except the blows that so nearly killed you. You work and push and stab to make an opening in their shield wall. And then you grunt and lunge and slash to widen the gap. And only then does the madness take over. As the enemy breaks and you can begin to kill like a…” quote by Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/bernard-cornwell-1849_motivational_and-afterwards-you-recall-little-except_441338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/bernard-cornwell-1849_motivational_and-afterwards-you-recall-little-except_441338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/bernard-cornwell-1849_motivational_and-afterwards-you-recall-little-except_441338.jpg) > ““And afterwards, you recall little, except the blows that so nearly killed you. You work and push and stab to make an opening in their shield wall. And then you grunt and lunge and slash to widen the gap. And only then does the madness take over. As the enemy breaks and you can begin to kill like a god. Because the enemy is scared and running or scared and frozen. And all they can do is die while you harvest souls.”” [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence becomes a trance when survival demands extreme aggression. **In simple terms:** Battle fury overtakes rational thought. Key Takeaway Recognize the cost of unchecked aggression. Themes war survival psychology Mood grim intense Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - military training - extreme sports - conflict zones Key Concepts combat stress moral ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - When does aggression become harmful? - How can one regain humanity after conflict? 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