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| Winston Churchill, August 1941 |
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Such were the thoughts of Winston Churchill, a member of the Conservative Party who was serving as Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. He was speaking at Harrow, 80 years ago on today's date, October 29, 1941.
People should, Churchill said, never submit to force and intimidation. At the same time, people should never sacrifice honor and good sense just because they are too stubborn to change. We should never give in to fear. Nor should we ever sacrifice honor, morality, or wisdom just because we are afraid. That was wisdom for Churchill's time, and it is wisdom for us today.
He said never give in to superior force. However, he also said to do what was right. To Churchill, doing the right thing was more important than doing the strong thing. The same should be true for us today. It is never right to give in to violence, bullying, or force. It is however, right to give in to the truth.
The fall of 1941 brought World War II’s darkest days. The United States had not yet formally entered the war. The United Kingdom had fought back against terrible German air attacks during the Battle of Britain. The days, nevertheless, looked dark and frightening. Nazi Germany possessed, at the time, the most powerful, most technologically advanced military force the world had ever seen. Germany and its allies had invaded the Soviet Union, giving the United Kingdom a partial respite. Across Europe, German SS troops were butchering innocent civilians by tens of thousands at a time. They murdered Jews and the Rom people and enslaved countless Slavs. It was a terrible time.
The fall of 1941 brought World War II’s darkest days. The United States had not yet formally entered the war. The United Kingdom had fought back against terrible German air attacks during the Battle of Britain. The days, nevertheless, looked dark and frightening. Nazi Germany possessed, at the time, the most powerful, most technologically advanced military force the world had ever seen. Germany and its allies had invaded the Soviet Union, giving the United Kingdom a partial respite. Across Europe, German SS troops were butchering innocent civilians by tens of thousands at a time. They murdered Jews and the Rom people and enslaved countless Slavs. It was a terrible time.
We face threats today. Not only does the world face armed enemies, but we struggle against the coronavirus epidemic. Should we give up and let it overrun us? Or should we bring the full weight of modern medical care and public health measures to bear against it? The Democrats face great challenges passing their Build Back Better agenda. If they feel it is the right thing, should they give up just because it is difficult?
Yet, at the same time, the world tempts us to spew out lies, slanders, and conspiracy theories instead of facing our problems. Too many American Republican politicians today lack the honor to admit the obvious truth that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, defeating Donald Trump. Their stubbornness represents tenacity, yes, but it is foolish and unworthy tenacity. To lose graciously is still honorable. Likewise, anti-vaccine fanatics shout, “we will not comply,” and end up spreading a deadly disease.
Churchill’s point: never give in to threats or adversity, but stand up for what is honorable and sensible. That makes so much sense, but Churchill’s values differ greatly from what we often hear today. Too often, people say that they would rather be wrong than to change their minds. Churchill did not say to be stubborn just to be stubborn. When he said, “Never give in. Never give in,” he meant to fight for what was right.
Facing the far greater challenges of national survival against the Nazi onslaught, Churchill reminded us that the only things we should give in to are “honour and good sense.” Churchill’s idea was that we should not give into force. Indeed, we should not even give in to the perception that the other side has too much power: “Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” In big matters and small alike, he said, never give in.
Churchill’s counterweight, however is that wise people balance strength against wisdom. Wise people never let ideology triumph over “good sense.” We should, he reminded his audience, submit to honor and good judgment. Even amidst the horrors of World War II, Churchill never put victory on a pedestal higher than those great virtues.
Churchill was not merely a politician who had mastered the art of wielding words like swords. No, he was not merely a master of words; he was a master of ideas. He knew never to give in or surrender to fear. For, after all, if we do let fear force us to give in to threats, we should also not let fear motivate us to do what is dishonorable or foolish. Wisdom for the ages.
Churchill’s counterweight, however is that wise people balance strength against wisdom. Wise people never let ideology triumph over “good sense.” We should, he reminded his audience, submit to honor and good judgment. Even amidst the horrors of World War II, Churchill never put victory on a pedestal higher than those great virtues.
Churchill was not merely a politician who had mastered the art of wielding words like swords. No, he was not merely a master of words; he was a master of ideas. He knew never to give in or surrender to fear. For, after all, if we do let fear force us to give in to threats, we should also not let fear motivate us to do what is dishonorable or foolish. Wisdom for the ages.
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