--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The essential thing in life is not so…" description: "\"The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.\" — Pierre de Coubertin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png" --- # The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as… ![“The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.” quote by Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png) > “The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.” [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s value lies not in conquering but in fighting honorably and well. **In simple terms:** Fighting well matters more than winning. Key Takeaway Focus on honorable effort. Themes ethics competition character Mood serious inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - team sports - personal challenges - education Key Concepts sports philosophy sportsmanship human endeavor Questions to Reflect On - What does “fighting well” look like today? - How can we teach honorable competition? A Different Perspective Winning can still be important for some goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distance running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance-running/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Inspirational running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-running/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Not giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-giving-up/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [One finds life through conquering the fear of death within one's mind. Empty the mind of all forms of attachment, make a go-for-broke charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takenaka-shigekata/one-finds-life-through-conquering-the-fear-of-death-within-one-s-mind/) Takenaka Shigekata > [Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pattisue-plumer/workouts-are-like-brushing-my-teeth-i-don-t-think-about-them-i-just/) PattiSue Plumer > [A lot of people don't realize that about 98 percent of the running I put in is anything but glamorous: 2 percent joyful participation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-castella/a-lot-of-people-don-t-realize-that-about-98-percent-of-the-running-i/) [Robert de Castella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-castella/) > [Onions make me sad. A lot of people don't realize that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/onions-make-me-sad-a-lot-of-people-don-t-realize-that/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I always loved running… It was something you could do by yourself and under your own power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-always-loved-running-it-was-something-you-could-do-by-yourself-and-2/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [Top results are achieved only through pain. But eventually you like this pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juha-vaatainen/top-results-are-achieved-only-through-pain-but-eventually-you-like/) Juha Vaatainen > [The gun goes off and everthing changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pattisue-plumer/the-gun-goes-off-and-everthing-changes-the-world-changes-and-nothing/) PattiSue Plumer > [If you're feeling good, don't worry. You'll get over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/if-you-re-feeling-good-don-t-worry-you-ll-get-over-it/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [You shall become the person you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/you-shall-become-the-person-you-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-prefontaine/some-people-create-with-words-or-with-music-or-with-a-brush-and/) [Steve Prefontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-prefontaine/) > [There's no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/there-s-no-such-thing-as-bad-weather-only-the-wrong-clothes/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [The real competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-sheehan/the-real-competition-is-against-the-little-voice-inside-you-that/) [George A. Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-sheehan/) > [A lot of people don't realize that not everybody gets high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ringwald/a-lot-of-people-don-t-realize-that-not-everybody-gets-high/) [Molly Ringwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ringwald/) > [To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-drayton/to-describe-the-agony-of-a-marathon-to-someone-who-s-never-run-it-is/) Jerome Drayton > [Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have Nature, and that is much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juha-vaatainen/stadiums-are-for-spectators-we-runners-have-nature-and-that-is-much/) Juha Vaatainen ## More by Pierre de Coubertin > [I therefore think that I was right in trying from the outset of the Olympic revival to rekindle a religious awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/i-therefore-think-that-i-was-right-in-trying-from-the-outset-of-the/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-is-not-to-have-conquered-but-to-have-fought-well/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-most-important-thing-in-the-olympic-games-is-not-winning-but/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [A better world could be brought about only by better individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/a-better-world-could-be-brought-about-only-by-better-individuals/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/in-our-view-the-olympic-idea-involves-a-strong-physical-culture/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Sport must be accessible to working class youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/sport-must-be-accessible-to-working-class-youth/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Swifter, higher, stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/swifter-higher-stronger/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Success comprises in itself the seeds of its own decline and sport is not spared by this law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/success-comprises-in-itself-the-seeds-of-its-own-decline-and-sport-is/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-olympic-games-are-the-quadrennial-celebration-of-the-springtime/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The Olympic Games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-olympic-games-are-for-the-world-and-all-nations-must-be-admitted/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [“...the important thing in life is not to triumph but to compete…not victory but combat…not to have vanquished but to have fought well…not winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-important-thing-in-life-is-not-to-triumph-but-to-compete-not/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [ The Olympic flag \[\] has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red \[\]. This design… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-olympic-flag-has-a-white-background-with-five-interlaced-rings-in/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The important thing is that all stages from adolescent to mature man, work is done to spread the sporting spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-important-thing-is-that-all-stages-from-adolescent-to-mature-man/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [The strength of Olympism comes to it from that which is simply human, hence worldwide is its essence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-strength-of-olympism-comes-to-it-from-that-which-is-simply-human/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) > [Olympism is a doctrine of the fraternity between the body and the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/olympism-is-a-doctrine-of-the-fraternity-between-the-body-and-the-soul/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) [Explore all 48 Pierre de Coubertin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) ## More Conquer quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man will not always stay on Earth; the pursuit of light and space will lead him to penetrate the bounds of the atmosphere, timidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/man-will-not-always-stay-on-earth-the-pursuit-of-light-and-space-will/) [Konstantin Tsiolkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I'm ready to conquer anything thrown at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-pritchard/i-m-ready-to-conquer-anything-thrown-at-me/) [A. J. Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-pritchard/) > [“They had been dreamers. Her father always said that this was why they had been easy to conquer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/they-had-been-dreamers-her-father-always-said-that-this-was-why-they/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [The moment you conquer one fear is the minute you conquer many fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/the-moment-you-conquer-one-fear-is-the-minute-you-conquer-many-fears/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“In quixotically trying to conquer death doctors all too frequently do no good for their patients’ “ease” but at the same time they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/in-quixotically-trying-to-conquer-death-doctors-all-too-frequently-do/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [Yet hold it more humane, more heav'nly, first, By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make persuasion do the work of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/yet-hold-it-more-humane-more-heav-nly-first-by-winning-words-to/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/at-the-time-when-this-famous-historical-battle-was-fought-in-kosovo/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [I can conquer the world with one hand, as long as you are holding the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-smith/i-can-conquer-the-world-with-one-hand-as-long-as-you-are-holding-the/) [Megan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-smith/) > [ To conquer \[our enemies\] we must dare, and dare again, and dare for ever; and thus will France be saved ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-danton/to-conquer-our-enemies-we-must-dare-and-dare-again-and-dare-for-ever/) [Georges Danton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-danton/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. Software…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/i-consider-that-the-golden-rule-requires-that-if-i-like-a-program-i/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) Browse all 1,557 Conquer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre de Coubertin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-much-conquering-as-fighting-well/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conquer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-much-conquering-as-fighting-well/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/pierre-de-coubertin-14070_conquer_the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-mu_2209840.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well.” — Pierre de Coubertin", "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": "Pierre de Coubertin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The essential thing in life is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-much-conquering-as-fighting-well/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-in-life-is-not-so-much-conquering-as-fighting-well/#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 } } ] } ```