--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head…" description: "\"“Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of course I’ll sign.” “He’d ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/r-a-lafferty-16100_another-life_aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-t_194156.png" --- # Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the… ![“Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of course I’ll sign.” “He’d have to feel himself a little better than those around him to take up a challenge like that,” Foreman put in hurriedly as Thomas had already touched…” quote by R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/r-a-lafferty-16100_another-life_aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-t_194156.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/r-a-lafferty-16100_another-life_aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-t_194156.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/r-a-lafferty-16100_another-life_aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-t_194156.png) > ““Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of course I’ll sign.” “He’d have to feel himself a little better than those around him to take up a challenge like that,” Foreman put in hurriedly as Thomas had already touched magnetic stylus to the form. “He’d have to be a man of some pride.” “I am a man of some pride,” Thomas said. “I do feel myself a little better than those around me, now that I really look at them.” “He’d have to be a man who couldn’t be pushed and couldn’t be scared,” said Foreman. “I say I’m such a man, even if it’s a lie. But I scare a little,” Thomas said. “He’d have to be a man who’d stand his ground even if he were scared,” Foreman needled. “He’d have to be quite a man to die for a point, even if he understood it only at the last minute, and then dimly. He’d have to be such a man-“ “Foreman, you fool, what are you up to?” Proctor demanded. “Who pushed me into the corner the other time, Fabian?” Thomas asked softly. “Who required my head of me for his point?” “If you’re granted another life, Thomas, you try to figure it out. Will he be writ as friend or enemy of you, do you think? On which side did he seem?”” [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores pride, fear, and moral choices when confronting personal identity and responsibility under pressure. **In simple terms:** Pride and fear shape decisions. Key Takeaway Recognize pride, confront fear, act responsibly. Themes identity pride fear morality Mood introspective tense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - leadership dilemmas - ethical decisions - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does true courage look like? - When does pride become harmful? A Different Perspective Pride can blind judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Another life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-life/) [Foreman Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreman-fool-2044649/) [Foreman Hurriedly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreman-hurriedly-2044651/) [Last minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-minute/) [Man Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-fool-608241/) [Proctor Demanded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proctor-demanded-2044650/) [Thomas Mused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas-mused-2044652/) ## Related quotes > [I'd Rather Be an Old Man's Sweetheart (Than a Young Man's Fool).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candi-staton/i-d-rather-be-an-old-man-s-sweetheart-than-a-young-man-s-fool/) [Candi Staton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candi-staton/) > [A wise man is a fool man's gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-is-a-fool-man-s-gold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing is more like a wise man than a fool who holds his tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/nothing-is-more-like-a-wise-man-than-a-fool-who-holds-his-tongue/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/a-man-is-a-fool-if-he-drinks-before-he-reaches-the-age-of-50-and-a/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Credulity is always a ridiculous, often a dangerous failing: it has made of many a clever man, a fool; and of many a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/credulity-is-always-a-ridiculous-often-a-dangerous-failing-it-has/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-renders-the-most-clever-man-a-fool-and-sometimes/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A life spent in constant labor is a life wasted, save a man be such a fool as to regard a fulsome obituary notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/a-life-spent-in-constant-labor-is-a-life-wasted-save-a-man-be-such-a/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [A wise man can be a fool in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/a-wise-man-can-be-a-fool-in-love/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [The man who has never made a fool of himself in love will never be wise in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-reik/the-man-who-has-never-made-a-fool-of-himself-in-love-will-never-be/) [Theodor Reik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-reik/) > [“There are no foolish questions and no man becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-proteus-steinmetz/there-are-no-foolish-questions-and-no-man-becomes-a-fool-until-he-has/) [Charles Proteus Steinmetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-proteus-steinmetz/) > [A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-man-may-be-a-fool-and-not-know-it-but-not-if-he-is-married/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [ \[Y\]ou \[man\] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with \[woman=\] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/y-ou-man-are-fool-enough-it-seems-to-dare-to-war-with-woman-me-when/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches fifty, and a fool if he doesn't drink afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/a-man-is-a-fool-if-he-drinks-before-he-reaches-fifty-and-a-fool-if-he/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [“Any man who was fool enough to fall for a simper, a faint and an 'Oh how wonderful you are!' wasn't worth having. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/any-man-who-was-fool-enough-to-fall-for-a-simper-a-faint-and-an-oh/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [As a rule, man is a fool. When it's hot, he wants it cool; When its cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/as-a-rule-man-is-a-fool-when-it-s-hot-he-wants-it-cool-when-its-cool/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) ## More by R.A. Lafferty > [“The Goths had trained bears and possibly, from one garbled account, trained seals. The dance is something with no survival, lacking verbal or pictorial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-goths-had-trained-bears-and-possibly-from-one-garbled-account/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the forces in Bologna to take the field against Alaric, on peril of the death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/olympius-in-the-name-of-the-emperor-honorius-ordered-the-forces-in/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Alaric now at this moment of supreme crisis, coming down to the rough shore and seeing the howling waves, raised his hand to heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/alaric-now-at-this-moment-of-supreme-crisis-coming-down-to-the-rough/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Paul was coursing at fantastic speed towards the area where the little twin stars Rhium and Antirhium revolved around each other. “Hurry,” were his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/paul-was-coursing-at-fantastic-speed-towards-the-area-where-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Science Fiction is a collection of guerrilla bands each challenging the rights of the others to belong to the centrality. The band most challenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/science-fiction-is-a-collection-of-guerrilla-bands-each-challenging/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“I say no man ever before slew his friend mouthful of words.” “And I say it has happened many times before. Consider the Assassinations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/i-say-no-man-ever-before-slew-his-friend-mouthful-of-words-and-i-say/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“I finally saw the whole conspiracy standing as plain as an elephant in the street; also the conspiracy was admitted to me in great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/i-finally-saw-the-whole-conspiracy-standing-as-plain-as-an-elephant/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“But we are all Goths, for all that, whoever we are; which is to say, Outlanders. And like the Goth Sarus we still owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/but-we-are-all-goths-for-all-that-whoever-we-are-which-is-to-say/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Here we come to a semantic difficulty. Other peoples who were of considerable civilization had been referred to as barbarians for more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/here-we-come-to-a-semantic-difficulty-other-peoples-who-were-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“The Western Empire, supported generation after generation by half a hundred of the strongest and most remarkable men in history, from Stilicho to Charlemagne,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-western-empire-supported-generation-after-generation-by-half-a/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Dr. Ginochio Gyves would have been the first man on the moon except for a trifling error of navigation. He lands. He sees a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/dr-ginochio-gyves-would-have-been-the-first-man-on-the-moon-except/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“After we were men we were tribal gods. We each have our tribe that we sometimes inspire and that we follow with interest. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/after-we-were-men-we-were-tribal-gods-we-each-have-our-tribe-that-we/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Science Fiction is a group of symptoms and not a disease,” so a medical student (failed) told me once. “It's like the old disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/science-fiction-is-a-group-of-symptoms-and-not-a-disease-so-a-medical/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“You believe, in one of your theories, that we're in control of the world. We aren't. But we have been, and we will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/you-believe-in-one-of-your-theories-that-we-re-in-control-of-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“It is said that—Arcadius having offered its weight in gold for the head of Gainas—King Uldin drew out the brains of Gainas and poured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/it-is-said-that-arcadius-having-offered-its-weight-in-gold-for-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) [Explore all 39 R.A. Lafferty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) ## More Another life quotes > [“Small memories of another life flutter through my head like moths — all grey images and tearstains”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-kahler/small-memories-of-another-life-flutter-through-my-head-like-moths-all/) [A.R. Kahler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-kahler/) > [When you chopped logs with the ax and they split open they smelled beautiful, like Christmas. But when you split someone's head open it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/when-you-chopped-logs-with-the-ax-and-they-split-open-they-smelled/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“I love the dark hours of my being. My mind deepens into them. There I can find, as in old letters, the days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-love-the-dark-hours-of-my-being-my-mind-deepens-into-them-there-i/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [In another life, I would be your girl. Capable of making promises. We would rule the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/in-another-life-i-would-be-your-girl-capable-of-making-promises-we/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [I couldn't even think about wanting to be something else; I wouldn't let myself visualize another life. But I wrote because I couldn't stop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-couldn-t-even-think-about-wanting-to-be-something-else-i-wouldn-t/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [And whatever my life had been up to that day, it was another life after that. And that is the gospel truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/and-whatever-my-life-had-been-up-to-that-day-it-was-another-life/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [Literature duplicates the experience of living in a way that nothing else can, drawing you so fully into another life that you temporarily forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/literature-duplicates-the-experience-of-living-in-a-way-that-nothing/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Whatever you have received more than others-in health, in talents, in ability, in success, in a pleasant childhood, in harmonious conditions of home life-all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/whatever-you-have-received-more-than-others-in-health-in-talents-in/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [“Let me give you a bit of advice.' the girl said bitterly, 'from one working girl to another; life isn't easy, no matter where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/let-me-give-you-a-bit-of-advice-the-girl-said-bitterly-from-one/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“The vibrations he felt in his sleep had nothing to do with his soul easing out of his body as he dreamily thought; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-poet-aberjhani/the-vibrations-he-felt-in-his-sleep-had-nothing-to-do-with-his-soul/) [Author-Poet Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-poet-aberjhani/) > [I wasn't born with a tie or with Mark Shields stapled to my left hip. I have another life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-wasn-t-born-with-a-tie-or-with-mark-shields-stapled-to-my-left-hip/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [For many observers, a child who has known nothing but war, a child for whom the Kalashnikov is the only way to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-beah/for-many-observers-a-child-who-has-known-nothing-but-war-a-child-for/) [Ishmael Beah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-beah/) > [I mean, is there a chance for me? To have another life after this, a better one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-mean-is-there-a-chance-for-me-to-have-another-life-after-this-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [We, all who live, have A life that is lived And another life that is thought, And the only life we have It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/we-all-who-live-have-a-life-that-is-lived-and-another-life-that-is/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [The death-change comes. Death is another life. We bow our heads At going out, we think, and enter straight Another golden chamber of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/the-death-change-comes-death-is-another-life-we-bow-our-heads-at/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) [Browse all 433 Another life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of course I’ll sign.” “He’d have to feel himself a little better than those around him to take up a challenge like that,” Foreman put in hurriedly as Thomas had already touched magnetic stylus to the form. “He’d have to be a man of some pride.” “I am a man of some pride,” Thomas said. “I do feel myself a little better than those around me, now that I really look at them.” “He’d have to be a man who couldn’t be pushed and couldn’t be scared,” said Foreman. “I say I’m such a man, even if it’s a lie. But I scare a little,” Thomas said. “He’d have to be a man who’d stand his ground even if he were scared,” Foreman needled. “He’d have to be quite a man to die for a point, even if he understood it only at the last minute, and then dimly. He’d have to be such a man-“ “Foreman, you fool, what are you up to?” Proctor demanded. “Who pushed me into the corner the other time, Fabian?” Thomas asked softly. “Who required my head of me for his point?” “If you’re granted another life, Thomas, you try to figure it out. Will he be writ as friend or enemy of you, do you think? On which side did he seem?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R.A. 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