---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When confronted with two alternatives…"
description: "\"When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.\" — Yamamoto Tsunetomo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png"
---

#  When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one…

![“When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.” quote by Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png)

> “When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.”

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

## About This Quote

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

When faced with life or death, choose death without hesitation.

**In simple terms:** Choosing death decisively when forced.

Key Takeaway

Accept fate with resolve.

Themes

honor samurai mortality

Mood

stern reflective

Type

ethical historical

When to use this quote

- military duty
- personal crisis
- ethical dilemmas

Key Concepts

bushido existential choice

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “death without hesitation” signify for you?
- When is it honorable to accept death?

A Different Perspective

Such resolve may conflict with self‑preservation instincts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose/) [Choose Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-death-413987/) [Confronted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confronted/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-choose-1396290/) [Death Hesitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-hesitation-4633736/) [Hesitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hesitation/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Without](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without/)

## Related quotes

> [Bushido is realised in the presence of death. In the case of having to choose between life and death you should choose death. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/bushido-is-realised-in-the-presence-of-death-in-the-case-of-having-to/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [“If the choice is a life without dance or death, well then I choose DEATH! Now hand me my whiskey and tights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitman/if-the-choice-is-a-life-without-dance-or-death-well-then-i-choose/)

[Jason Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitman/)

> [“Beryl, on death: “No, you should never choose death, but it chooses you. Sometimes you know it’s coming, like my mother, and sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-woollard/beryl-on-death-no-you-should-never-choose-death-but-it-chooses-you/)

[Charlotte Woollard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-woollard/)

> [What an extraordinary time to be alive. We're the first people on our planet to have real choice: we can continue killing each other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/what-an-extraordinary-time-to-be-alive-we-re-the-first-people-on-our/)

[Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/)

> [“And where, I ask you, can a man escape to, when he hasn’t enough madness left inside him? The truth is an endless death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/and-where-i-ask-you-can-a-man-escape-to-when-he-hasn-t-enough-madness/)

[Louis-Ferdinand Céline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/)

> [I have found that the Way of the samurai is death. This means that when you are compelled to choose between life and death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/i-have-found-that-the-way-of-the-samurai-is-death-this-means-that/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [“Perhaps death is all that waits for me across the great waters, but better to know death than to choose fear of the unknown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/perhaps-death-is-all-that-waits-for-me-across-the-great-waters-but/)

[Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/)

> [When it come to choosing between life and death, choose wisely. The wrong choice could create consequences for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-come-to-choosing-between-life-and-death-choose-wisely-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The habits of the heart that we foster in this space—our responses and reactions—will determine whether the Land Between results in spiritual life or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-manion/the-habits-of-the-heart-that-we-foster-in-this-space-our-responses/)

[Jeff Manion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-manion/)

> [“We curse out loud instead of loving out loud! Our words and thoughts produce life or death. We choose! God gave us the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-delgado/we-curse-out-loud-instead-of-loving-out-loud-our-words-and-thoughts/)

[Iris Delgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-delgado/)

> [“Face death, but choose life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-abedi/face-death-but-choose-life/)

[C.J. Abedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-abedi/)

> [“Your words have the power of life and death. Choose them wisely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/your-words-have-the-power-of-life-and-death-choose-them-wisely/)

[Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/)

> [And you wish to protect a beautiful princess, with whom you have fallen in love. But do you understand how dire the situation is?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-day-george/and-you-wish-to-protect-a-beautiful-princess-with-whom-you-have/)

[Jessica Day George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-day-george/)

> [To my mind, there are two things that, in life, you can do about death. Either you can choose to ignore it, in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/to-my-mind-there-are-two-things-that-in-life-you-can-do-about-death/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [This I choose to do. If there is a price, this I choose to pay. If it is my death, then I choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-i-choose-to-do-if-there-is-a-price-this-i-choose-to-pay-if-it-is/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## More by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

> [It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/it-is-difficult-for-a-fool-s-habits-to-change-to-selflessness/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [It is better not to become acquainted with men about whom you have formerly had doubts. No matter what you do, they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/it-is-better-not-to-become-acquainted-with-men-about-whom-you-have/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-one-has-made-a-decision-to-kill-a-person-even-if-it-will-be-very/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/a-person-who-is-discreet-in-speaking-will-be-useful-during-the-good/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [ “\[...\] if one seeks to resolve a problem, let it sit for a while, take time to think about the “Four Oaths” and subdue… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/if-one-seeks-to-resolve-a-problem-let-it-sit-for-a-while-take-time-to/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [It is a principle of the art of war that one should simply lay down his life and strike. If one's opponent also does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/it-is-a-principle-of-the-art-of-war-that-one-should-simply-lay-down/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [The way of the Samurai is found in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/the-way-of-the-samurai-is-found-in-death/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai: if by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/this-is-the-substance-of-the-way-of-the-samurai-if-by-setting-one-s/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/covetousness-anger-and-foolishness-are-things-to-sort-out-well-when/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/looking-comparatively-at-the-good-things-you-will-see-that-they-are/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ridiculous to say that it is a mystery or a portent of something to come...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-something-out-of-the-ordinary-happens-it-is-ridiculous-to-say/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. If one understands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/it-is-bad-when-one-thing-becomes-two-one-should-not-look-for-anything/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [When delivering something like an important letter or other written materials, grasp it firmly in your hand as you go and do not release…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-delivering-something-like-an-important-letter-or-other-written/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/one-should-make-his-decisions-within-the-space-of-seven-breaths/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [Continue to spur a running horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/continue-to-spur-a-running-horse/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

[Explore all 105 Yamamoto Tsunetomo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

## More Alternatives quotes

> [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/)

[Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/)

> [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/)

[Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/)

> [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/)

[Harold Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-covington/)

> [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/)

[Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/)

> [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/)

[Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/)

> [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/)

[Nicolas Bourriaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-bourriaud/)

> [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/)

[George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

[Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yamamoto Tsunetomo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-life-and-death-one-is-to-choose/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alternatives"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-life-and-death-one-is-to-choose/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/yamamoto-tsunetomo-4367_alternatives_when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-li_2168508.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.” — Yamamoto Tsunetomo",
                "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": "Yamamoto Tsunetomo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When confronted with two alternatives, life...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-life-and-death-one-is-to-choose/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/when-confronted-with-two-alternatives-life-and-death-one-is-to-choose/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
