--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It can take greater courage to stand in…" description: "\"It can take greater courage to stand in opposition to the views of your neighbors or nation than to confront an enemy in combat.\" — George McGovern" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/george-mcgovern-3955_combat_it-can-take-greater-courage-to-stand-in_2670631.png" --- # It can take greater courage to stand in opposition to the… ![“It can take greater courage to stand in opposition to the views of your neighbors or nation than to confront an enemy in combat.” quote by George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/george-mcgovern-3955_combat_it-can-take-greater-courage-to-stand-in_2670631.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/george-mcgovern-3955_combat_it-can-take-greater-courage-to-stand-in_2670631.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/george-mcgovern-3955_combat_it-can-take-greater-courage-to-stand-in_2670631.png) > “It can take greater courage to stand in opposition to the views of your neighbors or nation than to confront an enemy in combat.” [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Courage is often more demanding when defending unpopular ideas than fighting an external foe. **In simple terms:** Standing up for unpopular beliefs can be harder than fighting a war. Key Takeaway Defend your convictions despite pressure. Themes courage principle social pressure politics ethics Mood determined reflective Type political ethical inspirational When to use this quote - political debate - activism - whistleblowing - community meetings Key Concepts civil disobedience moral integrity public discourse Questions to Reflect On - What belief would you defend even if it alienates you? - How do you balance personal safety with moral duty? A Different Perspective Opposition may lead to isolation or retaliation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Combat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combat/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [When an individual wishes to stand in opposition to authority, he does best to find support for his position from others in his group.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/when-an-individual-wishes-to-stand-in-opposition-to-authority-he-does/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [I do stand in opposition to those who want to implement Sharia and essentially attack the Constitution of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-g-boykin/i-do-stand-in-opposition-to-those-who-want-to-implement-sharia-and/) [William G. Boykin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-g-boykin/) > [“People will oppose your progress. They will remind you of your past failures, belittle you, etc. The only way to stand against such opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-s-mashego/people-will-oppose-your-progress-they-will-remind-you-of-your-past/) [D.S. Mashego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-s-mashego/) > [ In the end, many of his more militant colleagues began to feel that \[Ho Chi Minh's\] tendency to compromise, and his reluctance to confront… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/in-the-end-many-of-his-more-militant-colleagues-began-to-feel-that-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [It is a tough choice. In war, people die. But when we refuse to confront the enemy, we will face the enemy in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-is-a-tough-choice-in-war-people-die-but-when-we-refuse-to-confront/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“...The Abbe's warning: 'Never confront an enemy at the end of a journey, unless it happens to be his journey'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/the-abbe-s-warning-never-confront-an-enemy-at-the-end-of-a-journey/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [Any time in America when the military has to stand in opposition of their own citizenry, something is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/any-time-in-america-when-the-military-has-to-stand-in-opposition-of/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech and earnestness in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarojini-naidu/we-want-deeper-sincerity-of-motive-a-greater-courage-in-speech-and/) [Sarojini Naidu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarojini-naidu/) > [Gloucester, 'tis true that we are in great danger; The greater therefore should our courage be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gloucester-tis-true-that-we-are-in-great-danger-the-greater-therefore/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I wish you the wisdom to know you’re better than what you've settled for, the desire for something greater, and the courage to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/i-wish-you-the-wisdom-to-know-you-re-better-than-what-you-ve-settled/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“I did not want to fight. I wanted to surrender, because surrender was the greater part of courage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jae-jones/i-did-not-want-to-fight-i-wanted-to-surrender-because-surrender-was/) [S. Jae-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jae-jones/) > [“I have a deep appreciation for anything that challenges my morality. I tend to wonder which thing or person might overpower my beliefs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-have-a-deep-appreciation-for-anything-that-challenges-my-morality-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Courage is required to make an initial thrust towards ones coveted goal, But even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/courage-is-required-to-make-an-initial-thrust-towards-ones-coveted/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [The opportunity for greater courage comes in the most ordinary of moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/the-opportunity-for-greater-courage-comes-in-the-most-ordinary-of/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [Nature reacts not only to physical disease, but also to moral weakness; when the danger increases; she gives us greater courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nature-reacts-not-only-to-physical-disease-but-also-to-moral-weakness/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by George McGovern > [Every Senator in this Chamber is partly responsible for sending 50,000 young Americans to an early grave. This Chamber reeks of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/every-senator-in-this-chamber-is-partly-responsible-for-sending-50/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I always thought of myself as a moderate liberal, a fighter for peace and justice. I never thought of myself as being all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-moderate-liberal-a-fighter-for-peace/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I was tired. I hadn't slept eight hours in two, three years. I lived on four, five hours of sleep. 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It means standing up for people who have been kept down ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/above-all-being-a-democrat-means-having-compassion-for-others-it/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I am fed up with a system which busts the pot smoker and lets the big dope racketeer go free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-am-fed-up-with-a-system-which-busts-the-pot-smoker-and-lets-the-big/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [To those who charge that liberalism has been tried and found wanting, I answer that the failure is not in the idea, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/to-those-who-charge-that-liberalism-has-been-tried-and-found-wanting/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [When I was a youngster growing up in South Dakota, we never referred to the national debt, it was always referred to as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/when-i-was-a-youngster-growing-up-in-south-dakota-we-never-referred/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [ I still love to go back to Mitchell \[his home town\] and wander up and down those streets. 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