--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Elend shook his head. \"We can survive…" description: "\"Elend shook his head. \"We can survive this. But, the only way that will happen is if our people don't give up. They need leaders who laugh, leaders who..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/brandon-sanderson-112_care_elend-shook-his-head-we-can-survive-this_2196975.jpg" --- # Elend shook his head. "We can survive this. But, the only… ![“Elend shook his head. "We can survive this. But, the only way that will happen is if our people don't give up. They need leaders who laugh, leaders who feel that this fight can be won. So, this is what I ask of you. I don't care if you're an optimist or a pessimist—I don't care if secretly, you…” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/brandon-sanderson-112_care_elend-shook-his-head-we-can-survive-this_2196975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/brandon-sanderson-112_care_elend-shook-his-head-we-can-survive-this_2196975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/brandon-sanderson-112_care_elend-shook-his-head-we-can-survive-this_2196975.jpg) > “Elend shook his head. "We can survive this. But, the only way that will happen is if our people don't give up. They need leaders who laugh, leaders who feel that this fight can be won. So, this is what I ask of you. I don't care if you're an optimist or a pessimist—I don't care if secretly, you think we'll all be dead before the month ends. On the outside, I want to see you smiling. Do it in defiance, if you have to. If the end does come, I want this group to meet that end smiling. As the Survivor taught us.” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Endurance and morale are vital; leaders must inspire hope and defiance even when outcomes seem bleak. **In simple terms:** Leaders should keep spirits high despite hardship. Key Takeaway Encourage smiling defiance. Themes leadership hope resilience Mood determined defiant Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - military campaigns - disaster recovery - team projects - personal crises Key Concepts psychology motivation group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance hope with practical preparation? - What actions sustain morale under threat? A Different Perspective Optimism may mask realistic assessment of danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Defiance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defiance/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist/) [Survivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivor/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“The optimist and the pessimist both die in the end, but each lives is life in a completely different way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-optimist-and-the-pessimist-both-die-in-the-end-but-each-lives-is/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I guess I'm a hopeful optimist, because to be a pessimist is to be suicidal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/i-guess-i-m-a-hopeful-optimist-because-to-be-a-pessimist-is-to-be/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? 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I don't care if you're an optimist or a pessimist—I don't care if secretly, you think we'll all be dead before the month ends. On the outside, I want to see you smiling. Do it in defiance, if you have to. If the end does come, I want this group to meet that end smiling. 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