--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I will not seek it,\" the other replied…" description: "\"“I will not seek it,\" the other replied. \"It has been opened once and it is enough. And you -- are you sure that man can conquer until he has been whol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/charles-williams-12379_defeated_i-will-not-seek-it-the-other-replied-it_2720523.jpg" --- # I will not seek it," the other replied. "It has been… ![“I will not seek it," the other replied. "It has been opened once and it is enough. And you -- are you sure that man can conquer until he has been wholly defeated? Are you sure that he can find plenitude till he has known utter despair? You will not let him despair of himself, but it may be that…” quote by Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/charles-williams-12379_defeated_i-will-not-seek-it-the-other-replied-it_2720523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/charles-williams-12379_defeated_i-will-not-seek-it-the-other-replied-it_2720523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/charles-williams-12379_defeated_i-will-not-seek-it-the-other-replied-it_2720523.jpg) > ““I will not seek it," the other replied. "It has been opened once and it is enough. And you -- are you sure that man can conquer until he has been wholly defeated? Are you sure that he can find plenitude till he has known utter despair? You will not let him despair of himself, but it may be that only in such a complete despair he finds that which cannot despair and is something other than man.”” [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that true mastery comes only after total defeat and despair, revealing a deeper, transcendent self beyond ordinary humanity. **In simple terms:** Only after total defeat can one discover a deeper self beyond ordinary. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as a path to deeper insight. Themes defeat despair self‑discovery transcendence Mood reflective somber Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - creative crisis - personal loss - spiritual quest - artistic struggle Key Concepts existentialism philosophy spirituality Questions to Reflect On - Can you find meaning after your deepest loss? - What does “something other than man” imply? A Different Perspective Total defeat may not always lead to insight; some may be crushed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Despair Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair-let-580976/) [Finds Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finds-despair-2877560/) [Let Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-despair-1082538/) ## Related quotes > [I don't keep from despairing. I let myself despair. I just don't linger there for too long. 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You took something shitty and you made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-dane/you-know-el-you-re-so-much-more-than-the-time-you-were-with-bill-and/) [Lauren Dane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-dane/) > [In times of sorrow & great despair, never let anyone to make yourself more miserable, instead gain a motivation from within that even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhiel14/in-times-of-sorrow-great-despair-never-let-anyone-to-make-yourself/) [Rhiel14](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhiel14/) > [“And while a part of her wanted that more than anything; to let go, embrace the despair and let it flood through her veins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-m-scott/and-while-a-part-of-her-wanted-that-more-than-anything-to-let-go/) [Kyle M. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-m-scott/) > [They mustn't know my despair, I can't let them see the wounds which they have caused, I couldn't bear their sympathy and their kind-hearted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/they-mustn-t-know-my-despair-i-can-t-let-them-see-the-wounds-which-2/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [They mustn't know my despair, I can't let them see the wounds which they have caused, I couldn't bear their sympathy and their kind-hearted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/they-mustn-t-know-my-despair-i-can-t-let-them-see-the-wounds-which/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Let no one despair, even though in the darkest night the last star of hope may disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/let-no-one-despair-even-though-in-the-darkest-night-the-last-star-of/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [Let there be no more war or bloodshed between Arabs and Israelis. Let there be no more suffering or denial of rights. Let there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/let-there-be-no-more-war-or-bloodshed-between-arabs-and-israelis-let/) [Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/) > [“Always love, always encourage, and never let despair get in the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/super-star/always-love-always-encourage-and-never-let-despair-get-in-the-way/) [Super Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/super-star/) > [Whoever has nothing to hope, let him despair of nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/whoever-has-nothing-to-hope-let-him-despair-of-nothing/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“To All Children In Our World (Young & Old) Don't let your despair hold you down. Rise above it & grab the rainbows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/to-all-children-in-our-world-young-old-don-t-let-your-despair-hold/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Charles Williams > [To forgive and to be forgiven are the two points of holy magnificence and holy modesty; round these two centres the whole doctrine of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/to-forgive-and-to-be-forgiven-are-the-two-points-of-holy-magnificence/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [The most he would do was to promise that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. It is about all that, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/the-most-he-would-do-was-to-promise-that-the-gates-of-hell-should-not/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“Have you by any chance an edition of St. Ignatius's treatise against the Gnostics?" he asked in a low clear voice. The young assistant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/have-you-by-any-chance-an-edition-of-st-ignatius-s-treatise-against/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“What’s the matter with you, Madox? 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That they did not like it when they got it does not alter the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/of-adam-and-eve-they-had-what-they-wanted-that-they-did-not-like-it/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [Hell is indefinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/hell-is-indefinite/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“Nothing was certain, but everything was safe - that was part of the mystery of Love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/nothing-was-certain-but-everything-was-safe-that-was-part-of-the/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [Every contrition for sin is apt to encourage a not quite charitable wish that other people should exhibit a similar contrition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/every-contrition-for-sin-is-apt-to-encourage-a-not-quite-charitable/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [Love was even more mathematical than poetry. It was the pure mathematics of the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/love-was-even-more-mathematical-than-poetry-it-was-the-pure/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“Over the white curve he had looked into incredible space; abysses of intelligence lay beyond it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/over-the-white-curve-he-had-looked-into-incredible-space-abysses-of/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [You will all know that in the Middle Ages there were supposed to be various classes of angels. these hierarchized celsitudes are but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/you-will-all-know-that-in-the-middle-ages-there-were-supposed-to-be/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“She sat the sister of Arthur, the wife of Lot four sons got by him, and one not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/she-sat-the-sister-of-arthur-the-wife-of-lot-four-sons-got-by-him-and/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [The history of Christianity would have been far happier if we all had remembered one rule of intelligence -- not to believe a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/the-history-of-christianity-would-have-been-far-happier-if-we-all-had/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [Many promising reconciliations have broken down because while both parties come prepared to forgive, neither party come prepared to be forgiven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/many-promising-reconciliations-have-broken-down-because-while-both/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) [Explore all 55 Charles Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) ## More Defeated quotes > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. 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You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [One's dream is defeated not by unsolvable problems, but by all the more-or-less satisfactory solutions that kill it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/one-s-dream-is-defeated-not-by-unsolvable-problems-but-by-all-the/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [For there is hardly a state or nation in existence which has not once had the misfortune, even if it was in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-there-is-hardly-a-state-or-nation-in-existence-which-has-not-once/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all conquerors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/faith-is-always-at-a-disadvantage-it-is-a-perpetually-defeated-thing/) [Gilbert K. 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