Boxing ring Quote by Ernest Hemingway
““Now standing in one corner of a boxing ring with a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, shooting a bullet weighing only 40 grains and with a striking energy of 51 foot pounds at 25 feet from the muzzle, I will guarantee to kill either Gene Tunney or Joe Louis before they get to me from the opposite corner. This is the smallest caliber pistol cartridge made; but it is also one of the most accurate and easy to hit with, since the pistol has no recoil. I have killed many horses with it, cripples and bear baits, with a single shot, and what will kill a horse will kill a man. I have hit six dueling silhouettes in the head with it at regulation distance in five seconds. It was this type of pistol that Millen boys’ colleague, Abe Faber, did all his killings with. Yet this same pistol bullet fired at point blank range will not dent a grizzly’s skull, and to shoot a grizzly with a .22 caliber pistol would simply be one way of committing suicide””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway, 1926
A speaker boasts about a tiny, accurate pistol, claiming it can kill top boxers and animals, yet admits it’s useless against a grizzly, highlighting limits of power.
In simple terms: A small gun can seem mighty but has clear limits.
Recognize the limits of seemingly powerful tools.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- boxing match
- self‑defense
- hunting
- survival scenarios
- military training
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess true capability versus perceived power?
- When might overconfidence become dangerous?
The claim exaggerates capability; real‑world effectiveness varies with target and context.