Certainty of death Quote by Rose Wilder Lane
““Let him get out on the front lines. Let him bring one slow freight through a snowstorm in the Rockies; let him drive one rivet to hold his apartment roof over his head. Let him keep his own electric light burning through one quiet, cosy winter evening when mist is freezing to the wires. Let him make, from seed to table, just one slice of bread, and we will hear no more from him about the human right to security. No man’s security is any greater than his own self-reliance. If every man and woman worth living did not stand up to the job of living, did not take risk and danger and exhaustion beyond exhaustion and go on fighting for one thin hope of victory in the certainty of death, there would not be a human being alive today.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown, possibly a personal essay or address, early 20th century
Self-reliance and personal responsibility are essential for security and survival; individuals must confront hardship and risk to uphold freedom.
In simple terms: Security comes from self-reliance and confronting hardship.
Key Takeaway
Embrace risk and personal effort.
Themes
self-reliance
responsibility
hardship
freedom
survival
Mood
determined
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- building a home
- working in extreme conditions
- facing danger
- personal growth
- community contribution
Key Concepts
individualism
existentialism
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What risks are you avoiding?
- How does self-reliance shape your view of security?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on individual effort may ignore systemic barriers and collective support.
![“And there we recognize that our frailty is not meant to cause us anxiety and sorrow. Rather, God means it to be a source of confidence, and even, as it was for Etty [the Dutch Jew previously mentioned that died in Auschwitz], a source of joy. For it is exactly that frailty--the strict limits to…” quote by Ellen F. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/435/ellen-f-davis-25448_certainty-of-death_and-there-we-recognize-that-our-frailty_726927.jpg)
