When the British came to Ibo land for instance at the beginning of the 20th century and defeated the men in pitched battles in different places and set up their administrations the men surrendered. And it was the women who led the first revolt.

Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom if you listen.

We must expect reverses even defeats. They are sent to teach us wisdom and prudence to call forth greater energies and to prevent our falling into greater disasters.

There is nothing worth having that can he obtained by nuclear war - nothing material or ideological - no tradition that it can defend. It is utterly self-defeating.

I'm old enough to remember the end of World War II. On Aug. 14 1946 a year after the Japanese were defeated most newspapers and magazines had single articles commemorating the end of the war.

Watergate enabled the Democrats to cut off all aid to South Vietnam and ensure American defeat in a war their party entered and had effectively lost before Nixon salvaged a non-Communist South Vietnam while effecting a complete American withdrawal.

Councils of war breed timidity and defeatism.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.

Four years ago I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did. I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have. We've blunted the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan and in 2014 our longest war will be over. A new tower rises above the New York skyline al Qaeda is on the path to defeat and Osama bin Laden is dead.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

War is a defeat for humanity.

Truth cannot be defeated.

In every adversity there lies the seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing you how to win the victory next time.

There is no better than adversity. Every defeat every heartbreak every loss contains its own seed its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.

Nothing fails like success nothing is so defeated as yesterday's triumphant Cause.

Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats.

Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling as in all careers of importance victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats.

Something called 'the Oklahoma Standard' became known throughout the world. It means resilience in the face of adversity. It means a strength and compassion that will not be defeated.

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 life.

Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.

I was now resolved to do everything in my power to defeat the system.

To defeat the aggressors is not enough to make peace durable. The main thing is to discard the ideology that generates war.

The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress with its trials and its errors its successes and its setbacks can never be relaxed and never abandoned.

If terror groups are to be defeated it is national governments that will have to do so. In nations like India governments will have to call on the patriotism of citizens to fight the terrorists. In a nation like Pakistan the government will have to be persuaded to deal with those in their midst who are complicit.

It is a law of human nature that in victory even the coward may boast of his prowess while defeat injures the reputation even of the brave.

I know people who grow old and bitter. I want to keep making a fresh start. I don't want them to defeat me. That would be suicidal.

I trust that your readers will not construe my words to mean that I would not have gone to a 3 o'clock in the morning session for the sake of defeating the Nebraska bill.

I don't believe we are supposed to go through life defeated and not having enough money to pay our bills or send our kids to college.

Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.