--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...We may encounter many defeats, but we…" description: "\"...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/maya-angelou-104_believe_we-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-we-mus_983598.png" --- # ...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be… ![“...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. In…” quote by Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/maya-angelou-104_believe_we-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-we-mus_983598.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/maya-angelou-104_believe_we-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-we-mus_983598.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/maya-angelou-104_believe_we-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-we-mus_983598.png) > “...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats - maybe it's imperative that we encounter the defeats - but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.” [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Enduring setbacks can forge strength, like pressure creates diamonds, while neglect leads to lesser forms. **In simple terms:** Defeats can strengthen us like pressure makes diamonds. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges to grow. Themes resilience growth adversity Mood determined reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career setbacks - creative projects - personal loss - health crises Key Concepts psychology metaphor self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn defeat into strength? - What pressures shape your character? A Different Perspective Success may still require support and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Coal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coal/) [Crystals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crystals/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Defeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeats/) [Defeats Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeats-defeated-583966/) [Defeats Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeats-maybe-1968563/) [Defeats Stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeats-stronger-1968564/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamond/) [Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt/) [Encounter Defeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounter-defeats-983690/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Essays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Goody two shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goody-two-shoes/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Imperatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperatives/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stronger/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics, the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/in-all-my-work-in-the-movies-i-write-the-lyrics-the-poetry-the-prose/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. 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They simply strengthen your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-you-must-not-be-defeated-please/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat so that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-we-must-not-be-defeated-it-may-even/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, the encountering may be the very experience which creates the vitality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-encounter-many-defeats-but-you-must-not-be-defeated-in-fact-2/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You may encounter many defeat, but you must not be defeated. 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Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-is-going-to-give-you-just-what-you-put-in-it-put-your-whole/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-more-you-know-of-your-history-the-more-liberated-you-are/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life offers us tickets to places which we have not knowingly asked for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-offers-us-tickets-to-places-which-we-have-not-knowingly-asked-for/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. 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I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/sunday-if-i-m-lucky-i-ll-go-to-church-or-listen-to-some-good/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Explore all 1,313 Maya Angelou quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## 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. 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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": "...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. 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