--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m not like that fellow who thought it a…" description: "\"“I’m not like that fellow who thought it a far, far better thing to trade his life for that of another. I’m nothing like him: I’d never volunteer to la..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/franny-billingsley-3192_guillotine_i-m-not-like-that-fellow-who-thought-it_1567581.png" --- # I’m not like that fellow who thought it a far, far better… ![“I’m not like that fellow who thought it a far, far better thing to trade his life for that of another. I’m nothing like him: I’d never volunteer to lay my head in the lap of Madame la Guillotine. No, that fellow was a hero and I’m not a hero at all.” quote by Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/franny-billingsley-3192_guillotine_i-m-not-like-that-fellow-who-thought-it_1567581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/franny-billingsley-3192_guillotine_i-m-not-like-that-fellow-who-thought-it_1567581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/franny-billingsley-3192_guillotine_i-m-not-like-that-fellow-who-thought-it_1567581.png) > ““I’m not like that fellow who thought it a far, far better thing to trade his life for that of another. I’m nothing like him: I’d never volunteer to lay my head in the lap of Madame la Guillotine. No, that fellow was a hero and I’m not a hero at all.”” [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker rejects heroic sacrifice, contrasting personal cowardice with societal expectations of heroism. **In simple terms:** He refuses to die for others. Key Takeaway Accept personal limits without shame. Themes heroism self‑identity morality courage societal pressure Mood thoughtful critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - wartime dilemmas - personal crises - ethical debates Key Concepts existential choice personal ethics heroic ideal Questions to Reflect On - What does heroism mean to you? - When is self‑preservation justified? A Different Perspective Heroic expectations can be unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/above-all-one-hideous-figure-grew-as-familiar-as-if-it-had-been-2/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Above all, one hideous figure grew as familiar as if it had been before the general gaze from the foundations of the world—the figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/above-all-one-hideous-figure-grew-as-familiar-as-if-it-had-been/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Along the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh. Six tumbrils carry the day's wine to La Guillotine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/along-the-paris-streets-the-death-carts-rumble-hollow-and-harsh-six/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Somewhere within the concept of justice, the worst of the guilty must always be removed. I cannot divorce this, not completely. The people must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/somewhere-within-the-concept-of-justice-the-worst-of-the-guilty-must/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [The guillotine was most effective and used until fairly recently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-lom/the-guillotine-was-most-effective-and-used-until-fairly-recently/) [Herbert Lom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-lom/) > [In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/in-the-sunset-of-dissolution-everything-is-illuminated-by-the-aura-of/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Idealists and reformers all become executioners in their turn. The road to utopia ends with the steps of the scaffold, the endless moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/idealists-and-reformers-all-become-executioners-in-their-turn-the/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Ever since my childhood, I was haunted by the search for perfection. An imperfectly cut paper literally made me ill. I would guillotine it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-arp/ever-since-my-childhood-i-was-haunted-by-the-search-for-perfection-an/) [Hans Arp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-arp/) > [I feel really, really comfortable with chokes, with my guillotine, especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-moreno/i-feel-really-really-comfortable-with-chokes-with-my-guillotine/) [Brandon Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-moreno/) > [Why is it I feel a new nostalgia for the era of the guillotine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-cooper/why-is-it-i-feel-a-new-nostalgia-for-the-era-of-the-guillotine/) [Dennis Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-cooper/) > [Part of my platform is, of course, the guilty must be punished and that we no longer let our children see their guilty leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/part-of-my-platform-is-of-course-the-guilty-must-be-punished-and-that/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [“Terror, terror, terror. Life was a reign of terror, in the shadow of the guillotine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/terror-terror-terror-life-was-a-reign-of-terror-in-the-shadow-of-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Louis XVI--Louis Capet--was led to the guillotine in the Place de la Revolution by Santerre, the brewer. Louis stepped firmly and resolutely up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardine-kielty/louis-xvi-louis-capet-was-led-to-the-guillotine-in-the-place-de-la/) Bernardine Kielty > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/forget-the-noose-forget-the-iron-maiden-forget-the-electric-chair-or/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) ## More by Franny Billingsley > [I hope you don’t mind my joining you,” said Leanne. I minded. After all, she’d tried to kill me. A girl in a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-hope-you-don-t-mind-my-joining-you-said-leanne-i-minded-after-all/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [I've confessed to everything and I's liked to be hanged. Now, if you please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-ve-confessed-to-everything-and-i-s-liked-to-be-hanged-now-if-you/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [Meaning. If you're going to die, you want to find meaning in life. You want to connect the dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/meaning-if-you-re-going-to-die-you-want-to-find-meaning-in-life-you/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [You could at least complain,” I say. “I adore complaining. It calms the nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/you-could-at-least-complain-i-say-i-adore-complaining-it-calms-the/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [Thoughts are strange creatures. They lead you from one thing to another. Sometimes you don’t know how you got from one to the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/thoughts-are-strange-creatures-they-lead-you-from-one-thing-to/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [Guess what it is that turns plants to coal. Pressure. Guess what it is that turns limestone to marble. Pressure. Guess what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/guess-what-it-is-that-turns-plants-to-coal-pressure-guess-what-it-is/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“I was going to ask him, yes I was. “You remember Blackberry Night?” The torches were alive with yellow butterfly-flames. “I can’t forget it.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-was-going-to-ask-him-yes-i-was-you-remember-blackberry-night-the/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [You don’t mind when he stares at you.” Cecil jerked his head toward Eldric. "He doesn’t stare,” I said. “He looks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/you-don-t-mind-when-he-stares-at-you-cecil-jerked-his-head-toward/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“I love you. I believe it. I believe I am lovable. How can something as fragile as a word build a whole world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-love-you-i-believe-it-i-believe-i-am-lovable-how-can-something-as/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [People think me a sort of Florence Nightingale, but I have no heroic qualities. I simply don’t feel very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/people-think-me-a-sort-of-florence-nightingale-but-i-have-no-heroic/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“It never ends, this business of being a lady.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/it-never-ends-this-business-of-being-a-lady/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“Smash the table, why don’t you? Kick things about. It’s ever so nice to see you embrace the true spirit of the Fraternitus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/smash-the-table-why-don-t-you-kick-things-about-it-s-ever-so-nice-to/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“This is the difference between Eldric and me. Had it been my job to transform the garden, I would have removed the clothesline. Clotheslines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/this-is-the-difference-between-eldric-and-me-had-it-been-my-job-to/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [I was asking about lust, wasnʼt I? I was fairly certain of it. But isnʼt love supposed to come before lust? It does in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-was-asking-about-lust-wasn-t-i-i-was-fairly-certain-of-it-but-isn-t/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“I have a theory about how she might have managed to pull off such a feat. It comes in the form of an equation:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-have-a-theory-about-how-she-might-have-managed-to-pull-off-such-a/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) [Explore all 137 Franny Billingsley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) ## More Guillotine quotes > [Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/forget-the-noose-forget-the-iron-maiden-forget-the-electric-chair-or/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Louis XVI--Louis Capet--was led to the guillotine in the Place de la Revolution by Santerre, the brewer. Louis stepped firmly and resolutely up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardine-kielty/louis-xvi-louis-capet-was-led-to-the-guillotine-in-the-place-de-la/) Bernardine Kielty > [“Terror, terror, terror. Life was a reign of terror, in the shadow of the guillotine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/terror-terror-terror-life-was-a-reign-of-terror-in-the-shadow-of-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Part of my platform is, of course, the guilty must be punished and that we no longer let our children see their guilty leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/part-of-my-platform-is-of-course-the-guilty-must-be-punished-and-that/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [Why is it I feel a new nostalgia for the era of the guillotine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-cooper/why-is-it-i-feel-a-new-nostalgia-for-the-era-of-the-guillotine/) [Dennis Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-cooper/) > [I feel really, really comfortable with chokes, with my guillotine, especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-moreno/i-feel-really-really-comfortable-with-chokes-with-my-guillotine/) [Brandon Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-moreno/) > [Ever since my childhood, I was haunted by the search for perfection. An imperfectly cut paper literally made me ill. I would guillotine it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-arp/ever-since-my-childhood-i-was-haunted-by-the-search-for-perfection-an/) [Hans Arp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-arp/) > [“Idealists and reformers all become executioners in their turn. The road to utopia ends with the steps of the scaffold, the endless moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/idealists-and-reformers-all-become-executioners-in-their-turn-the/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/in-the-sunset-of-dissolution-everything-is-illuminated-by-the-aura-of/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The guillotine was most effective and used until fairly recently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-lom/the-guillotine-was-most-effective-and-used-until-fairly-recently/) [Herbert Lom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-lom/) > [Somewhere within the concept of justice, the worst of the guilty must always be removed. I cannot divorce this, not completely. The people must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/somewhere-within-the-concept-of-justice-the-worst-of-the-guilty-must/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [The old farm roads a four lane that leads to the mall, and our dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/the-old-farm-roads-a-four-lane-that-leads-to-the-mall-and-our-dreams/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [In France, the leader of Jacobinism perished on the guillotine; with us, the change of leadership was achieved by means of arrest and banishment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/in-france-the-leader-of-jacobinism-perished-on-the-guillotine-with-us/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [Farewell, my children, forever. I go to your Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoinette/farewell-my-children-forever-i-go-to-your-father/) [Marie Antoinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoinette/) Browse all 86 Guillotine quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’m not like that fellow who thought it a far, far better thing to trade his life for that of another. I’m nothing like him: I’d never volunteer to lay my head in the lap of Madame la Guillotine. 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