---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is not finished when he is…"
description: "\"A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.\" — Richard M. Nixon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/richard-m-nixon-727_defeated_a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-is-defeate_2007418.jpg"
---

#  A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished…

![“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” quote by Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/richard-m-nixon-727_defeated_a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-is-defeate_2007418.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/richard-m-nixon-727_defeated_a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-is-defeate_2007418.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/richard-m-nixon-727_defeated_a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-is-defeate_2007418.jpg)

> “A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.”

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True defeat is giving up, not being beaten.

**In simple terms:** Quitting defines failure, not loss.

Key Takeaway

Persist despite setbacks.

Themes

resilience determination failure

Mood

motivational serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- sports competition
- business ventures
- personal challenges

Key Concepts

mindset perseverance

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it wise to stop?
- How do you differentiate defeat from quitting?

A Different Perspective

May overlook legitimate limits.

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[Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Defeated Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-finished-3356875/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Finished Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-defeated-3356874/) [Finished Quits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-quits-3566060/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Man Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-finished-3100483/) [Quits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quits/)

## Related quotes

> [Defeat doesn't finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quit-does-a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-s/)

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> [A man isn't finnished when he is beaten he is finnished when he quits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/a-man-isn-t-finnished-when-he-is-beaten-he-is-finnished-when-he-quits/)

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> [Defeat doesn't finish a man - quit does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quit-does/)

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> [The Soviet Union began by banishing God. The United States began as a community of people who wanted to worship God as they chose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/the-soviet-union-began-by-banishing-god-the-united-states-began-as-a/)

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> [I don't quit. If someone quits on me, that's on them, but I'm not going to quit, especially if I say I'm gonna do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/i-don-t-quit-if-someone-quits-on-me-that-s-on-them-but-i-m-not-going/)

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> [It's not so hard to become the best painter in Canada... The rest just quits!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-ewen/it-s-not-so-hard-to-become-the-best-painter-in-canada-the-rest-just/)

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> [If you give up before your goal has been reached, you are a "quitter." A QUITTER NEVER WINS AND A WINNER NEVER QUITS. Lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-you-give-up-before-your-goal-has-been-reached-you-are-a-quitter-a/)

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[J.M. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-richards/)

## More by Richard M. Nixon

> [I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-never-been-a-quitter-to-leave-office-before-my-term-is/)

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> [I have earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life I have never obstructed justice,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-earned-every-cent-and-in-all-of-my-years-of-public-life-i-have/)

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[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

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[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [Once you get into this great stream of history you can't get out. You can drown. Or you can be pulled ashore by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/once-you-get-into-this-great-stream-of-history-you-can-t-get-out-you/)

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[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

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[Explore all 388 Richard M. Nixon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

## More Defeated quotes

> [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/)

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