--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would rather believe something and…" description: "\"I would rather believe something and suffer for it, than to slide along into success without opinions.\" — James A. Garfield" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/james-a-garfield-3517_believe_i-would-rather-believe-something-and-suf_815015.jpg" --- # I would rather believe something and suffer for it, than… ![“I would rather believe something and suffer for it, than to slide along into success without opinions.” quote by James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/james-a-garfield-3517_believe_i-would-rather-believe-something-and-suf_815015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/james-a-garfield-3517_believe_i-would-rather-believe-something-and-suf_815015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/james-a-garfield-3517_believe_i-would-rather-believe-something-and-suf_815015.jpg) > “I would rather believe something and suffer for it, than to slide along into success without opinions.” [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prefer conviction with suffering over empty success. **In simple terms:** Choose belief over comfort. Key Takeaway Stand by your principles. Themes integrity conviction personal sacrifice Mood thoughtful inspirational Type political philosophical When to use this quote - career choices - public service - activism Key Concepts Ethics political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What convictions are you willing to endure for? - How to balance risk and principle? A Different Perspective Suffering may deter many from taking a stand. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-suffer-308477/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Slides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slides/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-opinions-308478/) [Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [What do you believe? I believe that the last and the first suffer equally. Pari passu. Equally? It is not alone in the dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/what-do-you-believe-i-believe-that-the-last-and-the-first-suffer/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/has-been-granted-to-you-that-for-the-sake-of-christ-you-should-not/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [While I believe in all that freedom, I also believe that no one should suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/while-i-believe-in-all-that-freedom-i-also-believe-that-no-one-should/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [“I don't believe any of you suffer as I do," cried Amy, "for you don't have to go to school with impertinent girls, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-don-t-believe-any-of-you-suffer-as-i-do-cried-amy-for-you-don-t/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [When I believe, I am crazy. When I don’t believe, I suffer psychotic depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-i-believe-i-am-crazy-when-i-don-t-believe-i-suffer-psychotic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My final belief is suffering. And I begin to believe that I do not suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/my-final-belief-is-suffering-and-i-begin-to-believe-that-i-do-not/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [“Someone sent me a letter that had one of the best quotes I've ever read. It said "What is to give light must endure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/someone-sent-me-a-letter-that-had-one-of-the-best-quotes-i-ve-ever/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [In giving presentations, use the 10/20/30 rule…use only 10 slides, take 20 minutes maximum, and use at least 30-point fonts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/in-giving-presentations-use-the-10-20-30-rule-use-only-10-slides-take/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [I never just slide through anything. I explore everything to the fullest, whether good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/i-never-just-slide-through-anything-i-explore-everything-to-the/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [When I first became really interested in building furniture, I went to Toys-R-Us, and spent $200 on Transformers toys. 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When men say things used to be better, they invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/things-aren-t-what-they-used-to-be-is-the-rallying-cry-of-small-minds/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things / Like / My cousin comes to visit and you know he's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-greenfield/i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-whole-lot-of-things-like-my-cousin-comes-to/) [Eloise Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloise-greenfield/) > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) ## More by James A. Garfield > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brows-let-them-not-be-written-upon/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/there-are-men-and-women-who-make-the-world-better-just-by-being-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [..remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/remember-that-under-our-institutions-there-was-no-middle-ground-for/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Whomsoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce and when you realize that the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/whomsoever-controls-the-volume-of-money-in-any-country-is-absolute/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Jika kerut merut mesti tertera di dahi kita, biarlah mereka tidak tertera di hati kita. Jiwa kita jangan pernah menjadi tua.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/jika-kerut-merut-mesti-tertera-di-dahi-kita-biarlah-mereka-tidak/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-men-who-succeed-best-in-public-life-are-those-who-take-the-risk/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/now-more-than-ever-the-people-are-responsible-for-the-character-of/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Nobody but radicals have ever accomplished anything in a great crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/nobody-but-radicals-have-ever-accomplished-anything-in-a-great-crisis/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Battles are never the end of war; for the dead must be buried and the cost of the conflict must be paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/battles-are-never-the-end-of-war-for-the-dead-must-be-buried-and-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/men-are-tending-to-materialism-houses-lands-and-worldly-goods-attract/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“If wrinkles must be written on our brow, let them not be written on our heart. The spirit should not grow old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brow-let-them-not-be-written-on/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Explore all 128 James A. Garfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would rather believe something and suffer for it, than to slide along into success without opinions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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