--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never given up. I've always kept…" description: "\"I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel that I could afford to give up. That would be the beginning of the end.\" — Joyce Carol Oates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/joyce-carol-oates-344_beginning_i-ve-never-given-up-i-ve-always-kept-goi_2068597.png" --- # I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel… ![“I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel that I could afford to give up. That would be the beginning of the end.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/joyce-carol-oates-344_beginning_i-ve-never-given-up-i-ve-always-kept-goi_2068597.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/joyce-carol-oates-344_beginning_i-ve-never-given-up-i-ve-always-kept-goi_2068597.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/joyce-carol-oates-344_beginning_i-ve-never-given-up-i-ve-always-kept-goi_2068597.png) > “I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel that I could afford to give up. That would be the beginning of the end.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relentless perseverance prevents defeat; giving up signals the start of failure. **In simple terms:** Never give up to avoid failure. Key Takeaway Keep moving forward despite obstacles. Themes perseverance resilience determination Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - Entrepreneurship - sports - creative projects Key Concepts Stoic philosophy psychology of grit Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your persistence? - When is it wise to change direction? A Different Perspective Perseverance without reflection may cause stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Beginning Of The End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-of-the-end/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ramadan/) ## Related quotes > [The beginning of the end can feel a lot like the middle when you are living in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/the-beginning-of-the-end-can-feel-a-lot-like-the-middle-when-you-are/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [Well "I do" are the two most famous last words. The beginning of the end. But to lose your life for another I've heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-peterson/well-i-do-are-the-two-most-famous-last-words-the-beginning-of-the-end/) [Andrew Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-peterson/) > [The first day you're a leader is the beginning of the end of your political career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-shipley/the-first-day-you-re-a-leader-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-your/) [Jenny Shipley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-shipley/) > [And this is the beginning of the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/and-this-is-the-beginning-of-the-end/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Maximum damage. It was the beginning of the end. Either we would fail or not. At least we could say we tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/maximum-damage-it-was-the-beginning-of-the-end-either-we-would-fail/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [In his speech last night, John Kerry said this was the beginning of the end of the Bush administration. I agree. Sure, it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/in-his-speech-last-night-john-kerry-said-this-was-the-beginning-of/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-s-churchill/this-is-not-the-end-this-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-this-is/) [Winston S. Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-s-churchill/) > [“It was the beginning of the end. Or perhaps, it was only the end of something that was never meant to begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/it-was-the-beginning-of-the-end-or-perhaps-it-was-only-the-end-of/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“So many signs exist today that you could write a book about them. In fact, I did, The Beginning of the End, first published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/so-many-signs-exist-today-that-you-could-write-a-book-about-them-in/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [The end of THE END is the best place to begin THE END, because if you read THE END from the beginning of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-end-of-the-end-is-the-best-place-to-begin-the-end-because-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Stability is the beginning of the end. We only walk by continually beginning to fall forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/stability-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-we-only-walk-by-continually/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“Where we're at right here is the beginning of the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/where-we-re-at-right-here-is-the-beginning-of-the-end/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“The Beginning of the End can feel a lot like the middle when you are living in it. When I was a kid I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/the-beginning-of-the-end-can-feel-a-lot-like-the-middle-when-you-are-2/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [“This is what the beginning of the end of the world will look like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/this-is-what-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-world-will-look-like/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“This is the beginning of the end (talking about the war)... Everyone was saying... But the British Prime Minister said, "This is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/this-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-talking-about-the-war-everyone-was/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel that I could afford to give up. 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