I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest.

Fools are more hard to conquer than persuade.

I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating.

...Defeat appears to me preferable to total Inaction.

I would rather try to succeed and fail than try to do nothing and succeed.

I would rather fail in a cause that would ultimately succeed, than succeed in a cause that would ultimately fail.

In general, the men of lower intelligence won out. Afraid of their own shortcomings and of the intelligence of their opponents, so that they would not lose out in reasoned argument or be taken by surprise by their quick-witted opponents, they boldly moved into action. Their enemies,on the contrary, contemptuous and confident in their ability to anticipate, thought there was no need to take by action what they could win by their brains.

I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.

They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool.

Prefer being rejected at your new standard than being accepted at your old one.

He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.

I had rather complain of ill-fortune than be ashamed of victory.

It is better to be feared than loved.

People are defeated in life not because of lack of ability, but for lack of wholeheartedness.