--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know. I only think the Austrians…" description: "\"“I don't know. I only think the Austrians will not stop when they have won a victory. It is in defeat that we become Christian.\" \"The Austrians are Chr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/ernest-hemingway-83_austrians_i-don-t-know-i-only-think-the-austrians_2342509.jpg" --- # I don't know. I only think the Austrians will not stop… ![“I don't know. I only think the Austrians will not stop when they have won a victory. It is in defeat that we become Christian." "The Austrians are Christians-- except for the Bosnians." "I don't mean technically Christian. I mean like Our Lord." He said nothing. "We are all gentler now because we…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/ernest-hemingway-83_austrians_i-don-t-know-i-only-think-the-austrians_2342509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/ernest-hemingway-83_austrians_i-don-t-know-i-only-think-the-austrians_2342509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/ernest-hemingway-83_austrians_i-don-t-know-i-only-think-the-austrians_2342509.jpg) > ““I don't know. I only think the Austrians will not stop when they have won a victory. It is in defeat that we become Christian." "The Austrians are Christians-- except for the Bosnians." "I don't mean technically Christian. I mean like Our Lord." He said nothing. "We are all gentler now because we are beaten. How would our Lord have been f Peter had rescued him in the Garden?”” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on how defeat can foster humility and a deeper, more authentic spirituality, contrasting superficial religious identity with genuine faith. **In simple terms:** Defeat can make us more humble and truly spiritual. Key Takeaway Seek humility through hardship. Themes humility faith defeat identity spirituality Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type literary philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - war trauma - personal loss - spiritual crisis - post-war reflection Key Concepts existentialism Christian symbolism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does loss change your sense of faith? - Can humility be cultivated without suffering? A Different Perspective Spiritual depth may not arise without confronting loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Austrians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/austrians-400260/) [Austrians Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/austrians-christians-5674235/) [Austrians Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/austrians-stop-5674238/) [Christian Austrians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-austrians-5674236/) [Think Austrians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-austrians-5674237/) ## Related quotes > [“The town was very nice and our house was very fine. The river ran behind us and the town had been captured very handsomely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-town-was-very-nice-and-our-house-was-very-fine-the-river-ran/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I did a ski festival in Austria once. I was struck by how friendly Austrians were, before gradually realising it's more that Glaswegians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-did-a-ski-festival-in-austria-once-i-was-struck-by-how-friendly/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [The Austrians are brilliant people. They made the world believe that Hitler was a German and Beethoven an Austrian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/the-austrians-are-brilliant-people-they-made-the-world-believe-that/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [At the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century in Austria, there was a lot of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/at-the-end-of-the-19th-century-and-the-first-half-of-the-20th-century/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [We Austrians know that in light of our own history, we have a special responsibility toward Israel and the Jewish people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/we-austrians-know-that-in-light-of-our-own-history-we-have-a-special/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [“Anything the Austrians could do, the Prussians could do better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blanning/anything-the-austrians-could-do-the-prussians-could-do-better/) [Tim Blanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blanning/) > [“In the past 10 years, Czechs filed 1211 applications to the European Patent Office, while Austrians filed about 15,000, the Dutch 66,000 and the Germans 256,000,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-past-10-years-czechs-filed-1211-applications-to-the-european/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have always had severe problems with Austrians. ... Musical, churchy, uptight... nice legs... hypocritical... authoritarian... always insist their dustbins are very clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/i-have-always-had-severe-problems-with-austrians-musical-churchy/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [“Scot Harvath wasn’t trying to hide. He expected to be seen. That was the plan. Be brief. Be bloody. Be gone. There would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/scot-harvath-wasn-t-trying-to-hide-he-expected-to-be-seen-that-was/) [Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/) > [The Germans and Austrians are very polite, the Swiss are very reserved and the Spanish usually kiss me. The Brits write me letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-leon/the-germans-and-austrians-are-very-polite-the-swiss-are-very-reserved/) [Donna Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-leon/) > [We all know that history cannot be undone. But let me assure you that we Austrians know that, because of our history, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/we-all-know-that-history-cannot-be-undone-but-let-me-assure-you-that/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [“Anyway, zis is Austria. Now somesing else funny! Ze Austrians do not call it 'Austria.' Zey call it O-s-t-e-r-r-e-i-c-h!" and the professor wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-r-brinley/anyway-zis-is-austria-now-somesing-else-funny-ze-austrians-do-not/) [Bertrand R. Brinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-r-brinley/) > [The reason I beat the Austrians is, they did not known the value of five minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-reason-i-beat-the-austrians-is-they-did-not-known-the-value-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Austrians quotes > [I did a ski festival in Austria once. I was struck by how friendly Austrians were, before gradually realising it's more that Glaswegians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-did-a-ski-festival-in-austria-once-i-was-struck-by-how-friendly/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [“The town was very nice and our house was very fine. The river ran behind us and the town had been captured very handsomely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-town-was-very-nice-and-our-house-was-very-fine-the-river-ran/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Anyway, zis is Austria. Now somesing else funny! Ze Austrians do not call it 'Austria.' Zey call it O-s-t-e-r-r-e-i-c-h!" and the professor wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-r-brinley/anyway-zis-is-austria-now-somesing-else-funny-ze-austrians-do-not/) [Bertrand R. Brinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-r-brinley/) > [We all know that history cannot be undone. But let me assure you that we Austrians know that, because of our history, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/we-all-know-that-history-cannot-be-undone-but-let-me-assure-you-that/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [The Germans and Austrians are very polite, the Swiss are very reserved and the Spanish usually kiss me. The Brits write me letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-leon/the-germans-and-austrians-are-very-polite-the-swiss-are-very-reserved/) [Donna Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-leon/) > [“Scot Harvath wasn’t trying to hide. He expected to be seen. That was the plan. Be brief. Be bloody. Be gone. There would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/scot-harvath-wasn-t-trying-to-hide-he-expected-to-be-seen-that-was/) [Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/) > [I have always had severe problems with Austrians. ... Musical, churchy, uptight... nice legs... hypocritical... authoritarian... always insist their dustbins are very clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/i-have-always-had-severe-problems-with-austrians-musical-churchy/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [“In the past 10 years, Czechs filed 1211 applications to the European Patent Office, while Austrians filed about 15,000, the Dutch 66,000 and the Germans 256,000,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-past-10-years-czechs-filed-1211-applications-to-the-european/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Anything the Austrians could do, the Prussians could do better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blanning/anything-the-austrians-could-do-the-prussians-could-do-better/) [Tim Blanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blanning/) > [We Austrians know that in light of our own history, we have a special responsibility toward Israel and the Jewish people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/we-austrians-know-that-in-light-of-our-own-history-we-have-a-special/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [At the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century in Austria, there was a lot of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/at-the-end-of-the-19th-century-and-the-first-half-of-the-20th-century/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [The Austrians are brilliant people. They made the world believe that Hitler was a German and Beethoven an Austrian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/the-austrians-are-brilliant-people-they-made-the-world-believe-that/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [The reason I beat the Austrians is, they did not known the value of five minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-reason-i-beat-the-austrians-is-they-did-not-known-the-value-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) [Browse all 14 Austrians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/austrians-400260/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don't know. 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