--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we decided to take up arms, it was…" description: "\"When we decided to take up arms, it was because the only other choice was to surrender and to submit to slavery.\" — Nelson Mandela" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/nelson-mandela-248_arms_when-we-decided-to-take-up-arms-it-was-b_327030.jpg" --- # When we decided to take up arms, it was because the only… ![“When we decided to take up arms, it was because the only other choice was to surrender and to submit to slavery.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/nelson-mandela-248_arms_when-we-decided-to-take-up-arms-it-was-b_327030.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/nelson-mandela-248_arms_when-we-decided-to-take-up-arms-it-was-b_327030.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/nelson-mandela-248_arms_when-we-decided-to-take-up-arms-it-was-b_327030.jpg) > “When we decided to take up arms, it was because the only other choice was to surrender and to submit to slavery.” [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing armed resistance was seen as the only alternative to oppression and loss of freedom. **In simple terms:** Armed struggle was chosen over surrender. Key Takeaway Consider all options before accepting oppression. Themes freedom resistance oppression choice Mood determined defiant Type political historical When to use this quote - activism - human rights advocacy - political negotiations Key Concepts political agency ethical dilemma colonialism Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives could have been pursued? - How does resistance shape identity? A Different Perspective Violence can perpetuate cycles of conflict and harm civilians. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) ## Related quotes > [If Americans should now turn back, submit again to slavery, it would be a betrayal so base the human race might better perish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/if-americans-should-now-turn-back-submit-again-to-slavery-it-would-be/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [“I think there’s a point in everyone’s life where they realize that despite their best efforts, they have no choice but to surrender. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-clare/i-think-there-s-a-point-in-everyone-s-life-where-they-realize-that/) [Tessa Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-clare/) > [Whoever is fortunate enough to be an American citizen came into the greatest inheritance man has ever enjoyed. He has had the benefit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/whoever-is-fortunate-enough-to-be-an-american-citizen-came-into-the/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/) Flavia Idà > [You think because you face situations not of your making that you exercise no choice? That you are helpless? To the contrary, child. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-think-because-you-face-situations-not-of-your-making-that-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There's no excuse for giving up just because it looks like we're going to lose. We have to try—because the other choice is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith-2/there-s-no-excuse-for-giving-up-just-because-it-looks-like-we-re/) [L. J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith-2/) > [You don't need to suffer anymore. You've suffered enough to take you to this point where you hear the words, "You don't need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-don-t-need-to-suffer-anymore-you-ve-suffered-enough-to-take-you/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices - submit or fight. That time has now come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-time-comes-in-the-life-of-any-nation-when-there-remain-only-two/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“There comes a sacred moment, when a man must cry out to his Saviour, this is time of surrender to the son of Man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-comes-a-sacred-moment-when-a-man-must-cry-out-to-his-saviour/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [When members unite with the church, they should not only make a profession of faith in Christ (that is essential), but in light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-adams/when-members-unite-with-the-church-they-should-not-only-make-a/) [Jay Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-adams/) > [It is one thing to praise discipline, and another to submit to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/it-is-one-thing-to-praise-discipline-and-another-to-submit-to-it/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. 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I cannot permit this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/i-would-have-let-you-shoot-me-without-further-ado-but-it-is-not/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [The State must act as the guardian of a millennial future in the face of which the wishes and the selfishness of the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-state-must-act-as-the-guardian-of-a-millennial-future-in-the-face/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) ## More by Nelson Mandela > [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [What he means by this is that instead of saying you'll "try", you need to "do". And as we let our light shine, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. 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If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. 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Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. 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