--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But he did allow himself to be persuaded…" description: "\"“But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized. And perhaps more of us thought as he did, but no one could very wel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg" --- # But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he… ![“But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized. And perhaps more of us thought as he did, but no one could very well stand out, because at that time even one’s parents were ready with the word “coward”; no one had the vaguest idea what we were in for. The wisest…” quote by Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg) > ““But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized. And perhaps more of us thought as he did, but no one could very well stand out, because at that time even one’s parents were ready with the word “coward”; no one had the vaguest idea what we were in for. The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy.”” [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People conform to social pressure, fearing ostracism, while the wise accept hardship as inevitable. **In simple terms:** Fear of being labeled a coward forces conformity; the wise accept war’s misfortune. Key Takeaway Resist peer pressure and seek independent judgment. Themes conformity war social pressure wisdom Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical critical. When to use this quote - military life - peer groups - public opinion - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts cowardice misfortune joy social norms Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt pressured to conform? - What defines true wisdom in crisis? A Different Perspective The perspective may romanticize the “wise” and oversimplify complex social dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/the-wisest-were-just-the-poor-and-simple-people-they-knew-the-war-to/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [Yet each man kills the thing he loves from all let this be heard some does it with a bitter look some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-from-all-let-this-be-heard-some/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“And all men kill the thing they love, By all let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/and-all-men-kill-the-thing-they-love-by-all-let-this-be-heard-some-do/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The man had killed the thing he loved, And so he had to die. Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-man-had-killed-the-thing-he-loved-and-so-he-had-to-die-yet-each/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Yet each man kills the thing he loves By each let this be heard Some do it with a bitter look Some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-by-each-let-this-be-heard-some-3/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“No need to waste the foolish tear, Or heave the windy sigh: The man had killed the thing he loved, And so he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/no-need-to-waste-the-foolish-tear-or-heave-the-windy-sigh-the-man-had-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Our senior officers knew the war was going badly. Yet they bowed to groupthink pressure and kept up pretenses. ...Many of my generation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/our-senior-officers-knew-the-war-was-going-badly-yet-they-bowed-to/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The bottom line is that the CIA knew before the war, during and war, and after the war where most of these chemicals were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-shays/the-bottom-line-is-that-the-cia-knew-before-the-war-during-and-war/) [Christopher Shays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-shays/) > [“Lanser had been in Belgium and France twenty years before and he tried not to think what he knew—that war is treachery and hatred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/lanser-had-been-in-belgium-and-france-twenty-years-before-and-he/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Willie didn't have a historian's respect for the victories at Guadalcanal, Stalingrad, and Midway. The stream of news as it burbled by his mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-wouk/willie-didn-t-have-a-historian-s-respect-for-the-victories-at/) [Herman Wouk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-wouk/) > [“Counting noses, Bess missed Andy and went to look for him. She found him finally in the dining room, in the corner at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/counting-noses-bess-missed-andy-and-went-to-look-for-him-she-found/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“They knew all about the war with France from Papa’s magazines. But whenever they tried to imagine what a war was actually like, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/they-knew-all-about-the-war-with-france-from-papa-s-magazines-but/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“He tried not to think what he knew--that war is treachery and hatred, the muddling of incompetent generals, the torture and killing and sickness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-tried-not-to-think-what-he-knew-that-war-is-treachery-and-hatred/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Actual evidence I have none, But my aunt's charwoman's sister's son Heard a policeman, on his beat Say to a housemaid in Downing Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-arkell/actual-evidence-i-have-none-but-my-aunt-s-charwoman-s-sister-s-son/) Reginald Arkell > [During my childhood and teenage years, everything I knew was at war. My mother and father were at war. My sister and I were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/during-my-childhood-and-teenage-years-everything-i-knew-was-at-war-my/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) ## More by Erich Maria Remarque > [There was only the broad square with the scattered dim moons of the street lamps and with the monumental stone arch which receded into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/there-was-only-the-broad-square-with-the-scattered-dim-moons-of-the/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/the-idea-of-authority-which-they-represented-was-associated-in-our/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“It was a long time since I had been in a theatre. And I would not have come now had Pat not wanted it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/it-was-a-long-time-since-i-had-been-in-a-theatre-and-i-would-not-have/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“Besides,” continued Gottfried, “you’re coming now to the time when the difference between a bourgeois and a cavalier begins to show. A bourgeois always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/besides-continued-gottfried-you-re-coming-now-to-the-time-when-the/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“They are wearing new uniforms and greatcoats; their boots are water-tight and fit well; their rifles are good and their pouches full of ammunition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/they-are-wearing-new-uniforms-and-greatcoats-their-boots-are-water/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“Shortly after the war Valentin had come into a little money, and had been drinking it ever since. He considered it his duty to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/shortly-after-the-war-valentin-had-come-into-a-little-money-and-had/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“A man has to have something he can put faith in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/a-man-has-to-have-something-he-can-put-faith-in/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/it-is-very-queer-that-the-unhappiness-of-the-world-is-so-often/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [I, too, am going to go away soon,' she says, 'I am weary and weary of my weariness. Everything is beginning to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/i-too-am-going-to-go-away-soon-she-says-i-am-weary-and-weary-of-my/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“One is never too young. Only always too old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/one-is-never-too-young-only-always-too-old/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [You take it from me, we are losing the war because we can salute too well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/you-take-it-from-me-we-are-losing-the-war-because-we-can-salute-too/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“It keeps them going, staves off the evil day when they will be alone. And to be alone, really alone, without illusion, that way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/it-keeps-them-going-staves-off-the-evil-day-when-they-will-be-alone/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“Suddenly he knew all the things he should have said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/suddenly-he-knew-all-the-things-he-should-have-said/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“To hell with it. What was the use trying to make safe and sure our little life? Sooner or later the great wave must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/to-hell-with-it-what-was-the-use-trying-to-make-safe-and-sure-our/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“I glance at my boots. They are big and clumsy, the breeches are tucked into them, and standing up one looks well-built and powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/i-glance-at-my-boots-they-are-big-and-clumsy-the-breeches-are-tucked/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) [Explore all 360 Erich Maria Remarque quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) ## More Coward quotes > [Only a coward will use a gun to protect and get respect for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-jal/only-a-coward-will-use-a-gun-to-protect-and-get-respect-for-themselves/) [Emmanuel Jal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-jal/) > [“The Coward will run away from danger, only to strike in the dark. The Heroine will run through the dark, even though she knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-cleinman/the-coward-will-run-away-from-danger-only-to-strike-in-the-dark-the/) David A. Cleinman > [“A thousand times a coward and not once a dead man”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suad-amiry/a-thousand-times-a-coward-and-not-once-a-dead-man/) Suad Amiry > [Boasting and bravado may exist in the breast even of the coward, if he is successful through a mere lucky hit; but a just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/boasting-and-bravado-may-exist-in-the-breast-even-of-the-coward-if-he/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [“It is true that only a coward can be brave, as a man who feels no fear has conquered nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conn-david-iggulden/it-is-true-that-only-a-coward-can-be-brave-as-a-man-who-feels-no-fear/) Conn & David Iggulden > [If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/if-you-re-a-generous-person-when-you-get-money-and-fame-you-re-going/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Where is the coward that would not dare to fight for such a land as Scotland?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/where-is-the-coward-that-would-not-dare-to-fight-for-such-a-land-as/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [“To stand at the very moment when all seems lost is the point of insanity for the coward, but it is the home of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-stand-at-the-very-moment-when-all-seems-lost-is-the-point-of/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [My advice to you, if you should ever be in a hold up, is to line up with the cowards and save your bravery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-henry/my-advice-to-you-if-you-should-ever-be-in-a-hold-up-is-to-line-up/) [O. Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-henry/) > [People who keep dogs are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/people-who-keep-dogs-are-cowards-who-haven-t-got-the-guts-to-bite/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Is there cowardice with the acknowledgement of fear?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/is-there-cowardice-with-the-acknowledgement-of-fear/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [It is the disease of cowards, who do not have the courage to speak upfront and so talk behind one's back... Watch out against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/it-is-the-disease-of-cowards-who-do-not-have-the-courage-to-speak/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [If our principles are right, why should we be cowards?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/if-our-principles-are-right-why-should-we-be-cowards/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [I found from working on the film that I am a bigot, at times. And that I am also a coward, at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-found-from-working-on-the-film-that-i-am-a-bigot-at-times-and-that/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [A coward is the kindest animal; 'Tis the most forgiving creature in a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/a-coward-is-the-kindest-animal-tis-the-most-forgiving-creature-in-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) Browse all 1,331 Coward quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized. And perhaps more of us thought as he did, but no one could very well stand out, because at that time even one’s parents were ready with the word “coward”; no one had the vaguest idea what we were in for. The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Maria Remarque" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded-otherwise-he-would-have-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coward" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded-otherwise-he-would-have-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/erich-maria-remarque-568_parenting_but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded_967201.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized. And perhaps more of us…” — Erich Maria Remarque", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Erich Maria Remarque", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But he did allow himself to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded-otherwise-he-would-have-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/but-he-did-allow-himself-to-be-persuaded-otherwise-he-would-have-been/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```