--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting…" description: "\"“Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.”\" — Richard Milhous Nixon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/866/richard-milhous-nixon-76924_defeat_defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quitting-doe_669140.jpg" --- # Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting does. A man is not… ![“Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.” quote by Richard Milhous Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/866/richard-milhous-nixon-76924_defeat_defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quitting-doe_669140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/866/richard-milhous-nixon-76924_defeat_defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quitting-doe_669140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/866/richard-milhous-nixon-76924_defeat_defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quitting-doe_669140.jpg) > ““Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.”” [Richard Milhous Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-milhous-nixon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defeat alone doesn't define a person; giving up does. True failure is quitting, not losing. **In simple terms:** Quitting, not defeat, ends you. Key Takeaway Keep persisting despite setbacks. Themes resilience determination failure perseverance Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - sports competition - business ventures - personal health goals - academic challenges Key Concepts psychology mindset motivation Questions to Reflect On - When have you considered quitting? - What motivates you to keep going? A Different Perspective Quitting may be rational when costs outweigh benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Defeat Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat-doesn-2405131/) [Defeated Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-finished-3356875/) [Finished Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-defeated-3356874/) [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/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/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/) > [You're not finished when you're defeated ... you're finished when you quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-not-finished-when-you-re-defeated-you-re-finished-when-you-quit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning is not very exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vermeil/if-you-don-t-invest-very-much-then-defeat-doesn-t-hurt-very-much-and/) [Dick Vermeil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vermeil/) > [Defeat doesn't finish a man - quit does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/defeat-doesn-t-finish-a-man-quit-does/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [Forget about the defeat,what doesn't kill you makes you stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forget-about-the-defeat-what-doesn-t-kill-you-makes-you-stronger/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Defeat is a momentary thing. A defeat doesn't last. We were defeated and now we attack. Defeat means nothing. Can't you understand that? Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/defeat-is-a-momentary-thing-a-defeat-doesn-t-last-we-were-defeated/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [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/) [Paterson Ewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-ewen/) > [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/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [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/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Hope travels through, nor quits us when we die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/hope-travels-through-nor-quits-us-when-we-die/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [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/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I'm not the type of guy that quits for any reason whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-luque/i-m-not-the-type-of-guy-that-quits-for-any-reason-whatsoever/) [Vicente Luque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-luque/) > [If you've ever been a person who is running a successful brand or business and with someone who is doing the same, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/if-you-ve-ever-been-a-person-who-is-running-a-successful-brand-or/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [“If you want to call it quits, just tell me. Man up and say it to my face. Don’t just skulk around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-richards/if-you-want-to-call-it-quits-just-tell-me-man-up-and-say-it-to-my/) [J.M. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-richards/) ## More by Richard Milhous Nixon > [“The finest steel must go through the hottest fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-milhous-nixon/the-finest-steel-must-go-through-the-hottest-fire/) [Richard Milhous Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-milhous-nixon/) > [“Those that hate you don't win until they get you to hate them. Then you destroy yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-milhous-nixon/those-that-hate-you-don-t-win-until-they-get-you-to-hate-them-then/) [Richard Milhous Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-milhous-nixon/) [Explore all 3 Richard Milhous Nixon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-milhous-nixon/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) [Maria Lenartowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-lenartowicz/) > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) [Victor J. Dzau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-dzau/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Defeat doesn't finish a man, quitting does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. 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