--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only a man who knows what it is like to…" description: "\"Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg" --- # Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can… ![“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” quote by Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg) > “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only those who have known defeat can summon inner strength to win in a tied contest. **In simple terms:** Defeat teaches the power to win when equal. Key Takeaway Learn from loss to find hidden strength. Themes sports resilience self‑belief Mood determined inspired Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - competition - career setbacks - personal challenges - team projects Key Concepts motivation psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance humility with confidence? - What strategies help transform failure into motivation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on defeat may undermine confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [“Or is what remains in me like a defeated army, Fleeing in disarray from victory already won?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonhoeffer-dietrich/or-is-what-remains-in-me-like-a-defeated-army-fleeing-in-disarray/) Bonhoeffer Dietrich > [“Every day I feel more like some defeated matador limping out of the arena after I've been gored, or like some general coming back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/every-day-i-feel-more-like-some-defeated-matador-limping-out-of-the/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-burnett/we-have-to-be-willing-to-do-whatever-it-takes-to-win/) Erin Burnett > [It's as simple as taking care of the ball and doing whatever it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devlin-hodges/it-s-as-simple-as-taking-care-of-the-ball-and-doing-whatever-it-takes/) [Devlin Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devlin-hodges/) > [I know what it takes to win ball games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/i-know-what-it-takes-to-win-ball-games/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to win. I just don't want to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-frampton/i-m-prepared-to-do-whatever-it-takes-to-win-i-just-don-t-want-to-lose/) [Carl Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-frampton/) > [If you know anything about Lou Lamoriello, his background and what he does, he will do what it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-trotz/if-you-know-anything-about-lou-lamoriello-his-background-and-what-he/) [Barry Trotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-trotz/) > [I want to be the man. I want to do what it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daunte-culpepper/i-want-to-be-the-man-i-want-to-do-what-it-takes-to-win/) [Daunte Culpepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daunte-culpepper/) > [If that's my job to lead and if that's my job to go out there and play defense, take charges, dive into the stands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-beverley/if-that-s-my-job-to-lead-and-if-that-s-my-job-to-go-out-there-and/) [Patrick Beverley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-beverley/) > [We're playing real football here, and doing what it takes to win games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-bridgewater/we-re-playing-real-football-here-and-doing-what-it-takes-to-win-games/) [Teddy Bridgewater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-bridgewater/) > [It doesn't matter who gets what. It's just a matter of doing what it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pau-gasol/it-doesn-t-matter-who-gets-what-it-s-just-a-matter-of-doing-what-it/) [Pau Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pau-gasol/) > [“As long as you want the belt, don’t run away from the fight. Do what it takes to win the battles you face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/as-long-as-you-want-the-belt-don-t-run-away-from-the-fight-do-what-it/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I want to win. Whatever it takes to win, that's what I'll do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-want-to-win-whatever-it-takes-to-win-that-s-what-i-ll-do/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [I know what it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-woodland/i-know-what-it-takes-to-win/) [Gary Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-woodland/) > [We'll do anything it takes to win a basketball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-lowry/we-ll-do-anything-it-takes-to-win-a-basketball-game/) [Kyle Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-lowry/) ## More by Muhammad Ali > [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-too-fast-i-m-too-smart-i-m-too-pretty/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-said-a-lot-of-things-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-that-i-shouldn-t/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-have-been-so-great-in-boxing-they-had-to-create-an-image-like-rocky/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Money and riches don't mean nothing to me. I don't care nothing about being no rich individual. I'm not living for glory or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/money-and-riches-don-t-mean-nothing-to-me-i-don-t-care-nothing-about/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/allah-is-the-greatest-i-m-just-the-greatest-boxer/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/my-wealth-is-in-my-knowledge-of-self-love-and-spirituality/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-gonna-have-to-be-killed-before-i-lose-and-i-ain-t-going-to-die/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) [Explore all 609 Muhammad Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/one-thing-you-learned-as-a-cubs-fan-when-you-bought-you-ticket-you/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) Browse all 2,558 Bottom quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Muhammad Ali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to-be-defeated-can-reach-down-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bottom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to-be-defeated-can-reach-down-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/muhammad-ali-386_bottom_only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to_2365985.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up…” — Muhammad Ali", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Muhammad Ali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Only a man who knows what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to-be-defeated-can-reach-down-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/only-a-man-who-knows-what-it-is-like-to-be-defeated-can-reach-down-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```