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Anime and Manga
"Remember kids: a smart man knows when it's time to RUN LIKE A LITTLE BITCH!"
— Desert Punk, Desert Punk
"If he's fighting in the tourney... I'm calling it a day, right here and now." [leaves, followed by several others]
— A random Tenkaichi Budokai participant, after seeing Vegeta destroy the Punching Machine, Dragon Ball Z
"Know when to cut your losses. The outcome of this battle has been decided."
Joseph: I have a secret weapon for situations such as this.
Smokey: A secret weapon? Really?! What kinda weapon?!
Joseph: What, isn't it obvious? Look at (Straizo's) legs, Smokey. I basically blew them to smithereens and they still haven't fully healed, yet. That's our ticket, there.
Smokey: What do his legs have to do with your weapon?
Joseph: My legs are in great shape!
Smokey: So what're you gonna do, then?
Joseph: RUN AS FAST AS I CAN! MAKE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY!
Smokey: A secret weapon? Really?! What kinda weapon?!
Joseph: What, isn't it obvious? Look at (Straizo's) legs, Smokey. I basically blew them to smithereens and they still haven't fully healed, yet. That's our ticket, there.
Smokey: What do his legs have to do with your weapon?
Joseph: My legs are in great shape!
Smokey: So what're you gonna do, then?
Joseph: RUN AS FAST AS I CAN! MAKE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY!
Joseph: One all-or-nothing gambit!
Stroheim: All-or-nothing gambit, you say!?
Joseph: Yeah! It's my final move!
Stroheim: What does it involve?
Smokey: JoJo, when you say 'final move', you're not referring to THAT, are you?
Joseph: Listen up! This is something you've got to do for yourselves!
Stroheim: Just tell me what to do and I'll follow your lead, JoJo!
Joseph: Hmmmhmmhmmmhmmhmmm... RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVEEEESSS!!!!
Smokey: NOOOOOOOO!!!! Man, I knew you're gonna do thaaaat!!
Stroheim: All-or-nothing gambit, you say!?
Joseph: Yeah! It's my final move!
Stroheim: What does it involve?
Smokey: JoJo, when you say 'final move', you're not referring to THAT, are you?
Joseph: Listen up! This is something you've got to do for yourselves!
Stroheim: Just tell me what to do and I'll follow your lead, JoJo!
Joseph: Hmmmhmmhmmmhmmhmmm... RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVEEEESSS!!!!
Smokey: NOOOOOOOO!!!! Man, I knew you're gonna do thaaaat!!
"If you’re a real man, you know when you gotta admit defeat. Time to face facts—you can lose today and win tomorrow!"
—Anthony, Pokémon: The Original Series, "The Punchy Pokemon"
Comic Books
Starfire: And speaking of go— Let's! Come on, Professor!
Dr. Kangle: Right, Starfire— Supergirl is too much for us right now! It's better to run and fight another day!
Dr. Kangle: Right, Starfire— Supergirl is too much for us right now! It's better to run and fight another day!
Fan Works
"Knowing your limits doesn't make you weak. Just because some asshole with a superiority complex sneers it enough times doesn't make it true."
— Sakura Haruno, Androgyninja's A Drop of Poison
Emblem Soren: Our power won't be nearly enough to turn things around here. Not only do they now have most of the rings in their possession, they also have the time crystal. If you tried to fight back now you would only be handing our bracelets over to the enemy on a silver platter.
Alear: But I can't just leave them… They're my friends!
Emblem Soren: Believe it or not, there's someone among them that I want to save too, and I'm sure Tiki and the three house leaders feel the same way. But we simply don't have the means to do so right now. We’ll get them back, but only when the time is right. Call a retreat now, before the situation really does become unsalvageable.
Alear: But I can't just leave them… They're my friends!
Emblem Soren: Believe it or not, there's someone among them that I want to save too, and I'm sure Tiki and the three house leaders feel the same way. But we simply don't have the means to do so right now. We’ll get them back, but only when the time is right. Call a retreat now, before the situation really does become unsalvageable.
"Giving up is not a bad thing, goddammit! Sometimes, giving up requires courage, too, you know!"
— Suika, Suikakasen
Films - Live Action
"Not to call you a coward, master. But, sometimes, cowards do survive."
— Starscream, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen
Stuart: We're not giving up.
Snowbell: Why not? Giving up is fun — and look at all the time you save! I'm telling you, Stuart, if more people gave up, there'd be fewer wars.
Snowbell: Why not? Giving up is fun — and look at all the time you save! I'm telling you, Stuart, if more people gave up, there'd be fewer wars.
— Stuart Little 2
Lando: Whoa whoa whoa, Han, slow down! You might want to quit while you're ahead.
Han: You might want to quit while you're behind.
Han: You might want to quit while you're behind.
— Solo
Stephen Falken: The whole point was to find a way to practice nuclear war without destroying ourselves. To get the computers to learn from mistakes we couldn't afford to make. Except, I never could get Joshua to learn the most important lesson.
David Lightman: What's that?
Stephen Falken: Futility. That there's a time when you should just give up.
David Lightman: What's that?
Stephen Falken: Futility. That there's a time when you should just give up.
— WarGames
"A STRANGE GAME.
THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY.
HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS?"
THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY.
HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS?"
— WOPR, WarGames
Literature
"Do not ally yourself with the Renrij if you yearn to be part of a mighty army, marching resolutely forth, for whom retreat is anathema. We will laugh at your suicidal idiocy as we slip into the reeds of the river, and watch the inevitable slaughter."
I realized then that there is a very basic difference between Yeerks and humans.
A human will fight even when he knows he can't win. Maybe our species is just a little crazy. But human history is full of cases where a handful of guys would fight an entire army. They'd get stomped, but they'd fight anyway.
That's not the way it is for Yeerks. They are ruthless. They will do anything, absolutely anything to win. But when the situation is impossible, totally impossible, they stop fighting. They figure that other Yeerks will carry on the fight for them.
Different ways of looking at your world.
A human will fight even when he knows he can't win. Maybe our species is just a little crazy. But human history is full of cases where a handful of guys would fight an entire army. They'd get stomped, but they'd fight anyway.
That's not the way it is for Yeerks. They are ruthless. They will do anything, absolutely anything to win. But when the situation is impossible, totally impossible, they stop fighting. They figure that other Yeerks will carry on the fight for them.
Different ways of looking at your world.
— Animorphs #6: The Capture
This life is filled with threats and danger, David. We face those that we have to face, and there will be times when we must make the choice to act for a greater good, even at risk to ourselves, but we do not lay down our lives needlessly. Each of us has only one life to live, and one life to give. There is no glory in throwing it away where there is no hope.
— Roland, The Book of Lost Things
Hestiv: There's no honor in surrender, Admiral.
Pellaeon: There's no honor in wasting lives for nothing, either.
Hestiv: I know. But at least if you're dead you don't have to live with the shame of it.
Pellaeon: There are some in the Fleet who would call that a noble warrior attitude. Personally, I'd call it stupid. If we're destroyed — if we all die — the concepts and ideals of the New Order die with us. But if we surrender, we can keep those ideals alive. Then, if and when the New Republic self-destructs, we'll be positioned to rise again. Maybe then the galaxy will finally be ready to accept us.
Hestiv: Perhaps.
Pellaeon: There's no disgrace in backing out of a no-win situation, General. I saw Grand Admiral Thrawn do it more than once, forthrightly and without embarrassment, rather than waste his men and ships. That's no more or less what I'm proposing we do now.
Pellaeon: There's no honor in wasting lives for nothing, either.
Hestiv: I know. But at least if you're dead you don't have to live with the shame of it.
Pellaeon: There are some in the Fleet who would call that a noble warrior attitude. Personally, I'd call it stupid. If we're destroyed — if we all die — the concepts and ideals of the New Order die with us. But if we surrender, we can keep those ideals alive. Then, if and when the New Republic self-destructs, we'll be positioned to rise again. Maybe then the galaxy will finally be ready to accept us.
Hestiv: Perhaps.
Pellaeon: There's no disgrace in backing out of a no-win situation, General. I saw Grand Admiral Thrawn do it more than once, forthrightly and without embarrassment, rather than waste his men and ships. That's no more or less what I'm proposing we do now.
— General Hestiv and Supreme Commander Pellaeon, Hand of Thrawn: The Specter of the Past
"Sure, you can take the heroic stand against the forces of darkness. Or you can not die. It's entirely up to you."
— Evelyn Baker, InCryptid: Discount Armageddon
Has it crossed your minds that you don't have to go off on a holy crusade every time things don't go your way? You children and your adventures. Stories have ends! Why don't you let Fillory die gracefully, in its own time and in its own way? Maybe it wants to let go! I was never a real paramedic, but a phrase comes back to me: do not resuscitate. Let it go. Let Fillory die in peace.
— Jane Chatwin, The Magician's Land
"If all else fails, retreat."
— Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Digging was the simplest solution. Get a few lads with strong backs and shovels. Dig until you find the beast. Finish the job. Simple. Of course, you would have to ignore the fact that all the while you were digging, a creature of terrible power lurked beneath you, waiting to drag you into the earth. How many lives would it take to extinguish this evil forever? How many was he ready to sacrifice? He could practically feel the vampyr's grin emanating from the dirt below.
The witchfinder removed a large silver cross from his jacket. A stalemate, then.
The witchfinder removed a large silver cross from his jacket. A stalemate, then.
— An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
"No man has ever died from bending his knee. He who kneels may rise again, blade in hand. He who will not kneel stays dead, stiff legs and all."
— Balon Greyjoy, A Song of Ice and Fire
Live Action TV
Drake: (defeated; as Walter) Boys, you're both grounded.
Josh: (defeated) But dad—
Drake: (defeated; as Walter) Grounded, two weeks.
Josh: (defeated) But it wasn't our fault.
Drake: (defeated; as Walter) Upstairs.
Josh: (defeated) Yes, sir.
Drake: (defeated) 'Night.
Josh: (defeated) 'Night.
Josh: (defeated) But dad—
Drake: (defeated; as Walter) Grounded, two weeks.
Josh: (defeated) But it wasn't our fault.
Drake: (defeated; as Walter) Upstairs.
Josh: (defeated) Yes, sir.
Drake: (defeated) 'Night.
Josh: (defeated) 'Night.
—Drake & Josh, Helicopter
"They hurled me out of that night club, and then they decided to square off with me in the parking lot. But I backed down 'cause I didn't know how many of them it was going to take to whip my ass, but I knew how many they were going to use."
Gina: Hello, boys. Welcome to your own office. I hear you're trying to make the precinct more efficient.
Sergeant Jeffords: Gina, what are you doing in the Captain's chair?
Captain Holt: Please. I am open to any ideas about efficiency.
Gina: I have narrowed the problem down to one location. The Holt-Jeffords vortex. Things would go a lot faster if the two of you did less experimenting and more working. And I'm not the only one who thinks that.
[One confrontation over the effects of Holt's efficiency drive later:]
Captain Holt: Okay, message received. Jeffords and I will get right to work.
Gina: [smugly] Great! That will be all. Thank you.
Captain Holt: [coldly] Get the hell out of my chair.
Gina: [instantly capitulating] Alright, I pushed it a little bit on that one. Ohh-kay. Bye. [scurries quickly out of Holt's office]
Sergeant Jeffords: Gina, what are you doing in the Captain's chair?
Captain Holt: Please. I am open to any ideas about efficiency.
Gina: I have narrowed the problem down to one location. The Holt-Jeffords vortex. Things would go a lot faster if the two of you did less experimenting and more working. And I'm not the only one who thinks that.
[One confrontation over the effects of Holt's efficiency drive later:]
Captain Holt: Okay, message received. Jeffords and I will get right to work.
Gina: [smugly] Great! That will be all. Thank you.
Captain Holt: [coldly] Get the hell out of my chair.
Gina: [instantly capitulating] Alright, I pushed it a little bit on that one. Ohh-kay. Bye. [scurries quickly out of Holt's office]
— Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "Operation Broken Feather"
"The battle is lost! We must retreat and save our resources for battles yet to come."
— The Monitor, Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019)
Jaime: That was only one of (the dragons). She has two more. If she decides to use them, to really use them...
Bronn: You're fucked.
Jaime: Don't you mean we're fucked?
Bronn: No, I do not. Dragons are where our partnership ends.
Bronn: You're fucked.
Jaime: Don't you mean we're fucked?
Bronn: No, I do not. Dragons are where our partnership ends.
"I. Declare. BANKRUPTCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!
"
"— Michael Scott, The Office (US)
"A true warrior... knows when to fold 'em."
— Teal'c, Stargate SG-1
Garak: Yes, they might be killed, and that is unfortunate. But there comes a point when the odds are against you and the only reasonable course of action is to quit!
Bashir: Is that what they taught you in the Obsidian Order? To give up when things get tough?
Garak: As a matter of fact, they did. That's why I've managed to stay alive while most of my colleagues are dead. Because I know when to walk away.
Bashir: Is that what they taught you in the Obsidian Order? To give up when things get tough?
Garak: As a matter of fact, they did. That's why I've managed to stay alive while most of my colleagues are dead. Because I know when to walk away.
Dukat: [Our reinforcements] entered the wormhole. Where are they?!
Damar: The Defiant opened fire on us!
Dukat: Can you get our weapons back online?!
Damar: Not for a while... Sir, 200 enemy ships have broken through our lines! They're headed this way.
Weyoun: Time to start packing.
Damar: The Defiant opened fire on us!
Dukat: Can you get our weapons back online?!
Damar: Not for a while... Sir, 200 enemy ships have broken through our lines! They're headed this way.
Weyoun: Time to start packing.
Worf: Kahless himself said "Destroying an Empire to win a war is no victory."
Gowron: "And ending a battle to save an Empire is no defeat."
Gowron: "And ending a battle to save an Empire is no defeat."
[Margaret is typing a document at an agonisingly slow rate.]
Leo: Margaret, you got that memo?
Margaret: Any minute now.
[Leo watches in confusion]
Leo: Margaret, what the hell are you doing?
Margaret: Why, I'm typing, Leo.
Leo: [Increasingly indignant] Margaret—!
Margaret: Apparently your response to Donna's perfectly legitimate concern about the White House not supporting OSHA's regarding repetitive stress injuries was "Type slower." Donna has organised most of the assistants in the West Wing to do just that.
Leo: ... Margaret.
Margaret: Yeah.
Leo: Look at my face right now.
[Margaret looks up, sees the thunderous "I-am-mere-seconds-from-firing-you" expression on Leo's face, and sure enough:]
Margaret: Okay! [Begins typing normally]
Leo: Margaret, you got that memo?
Margaret: Any minute now.
[Leo watches in confusion]
Leo: Margaret, what the hell are you doing?
Margaret: Why, I'm typing, Leo.
Leo: [Increasingly indignant] Margaret—!
Margaret: Apparently your response to Donna's perfectly legitimate concern about the White House not supporting OSHA's regarding repetitive stress injuries was "Type slower." Donna has organised most of the assistants in the West Wing to do just that.
Leo: ... Margaret.
Margaret: Yeah.
Leo: Look at my face right now.
[Margaret looks up, sees the thunderous "I-am-mere-seconds-from-firing-you" expression on Leo's face, and sure enough:]
Margaret: Okay! [Begins typing normally]
— The West Wing, "The Lame-Duck Congress"
"Lambs go to the slaughter. A man, he learns when to walk away."
— The Greek, The Wire
"The key to never getting your ass beat? Knowing when someone can beat your ass."
— Ava, Abbott Elementary
Music
Yametara? Kono game (Why don't you quit this game?)
Tabletop Games
Question: How would the Trust handle high-level (15+) PCs coming to Zilargo? What preparations would they make to handle potential violations of laws and norms by people who will be hard to intimidate or control?
Answer: Now, there's two critical questions here. The first is COULD the Trust defeat high level player characters, and the answer to that is YES. The second is more important, and it's does anyone want that to happen? And the answer to that is NO. The Trust will know everything there is to know about the PCs. Their secrets. Their weaknesses. The magic items they rely on and the spells they like to use. The Zil aren't warriors; they are experts in illusion and divination, and fighting them will be like being the chump in a heist movie. They'll steal your magic items and replace them with mundane duplicates. They can poison every drink you take, with a poison tailored to kick in... NOW. Heck, this room we're standing in? It's designed to drop into a sphere of annihilation, because we are NOT taking chances. But that's back to the second question. They COULD do this, but none of us wants that. They don't want to burn that awesome sphere of annihilation trap, and no player wants their character to be destroyed with no save. So set aside the idea of whether they can beat the PCs and instead say "How can they get the PCs out of Zilargo as quickly and safely as possible." Which means that instead of FIGHTING the PCs, the most likely answer is that the Trust will HELP them to get what they want—either obviously or secretly. They'll surround the PCs with undercover agents, who will make sure that the PCs get the information they need as quickly as possible. Heck, if the PCs are looking for an object, it could just turn up on their bed with a note saying "You can go now." Again, the Trust doesn't LIKE assassinating people; it's just always looking for the most efficient way to protect the people of Zilargo.
Answer: Now, there's two critical questions here. The first is COULD the Trust defeat high level player characters, and the answer to that is YES. The second is more important, and it's does anyone want that to happen? And the answer to that is NO. The Trust will know everything there is to know about the PCs. Their secrets. Their weaknesses. The magic items they rely on and the spells they like to use. The Zil aren't warriors; they are experts in illusion and divination, and fighting them will be like being the chump in a heist movie. They'll steal your magic items and replace them with mundane duplicates. They can poison every drink you take, with a poison tailored to kick in... NOW. Heck, this room we're standing in? It's designed to drop into a sphere of annihilation, because we are NOT taking chances. But that's back to the second question. They COULD do this, but none of us wants that. They don't want to burn that awesome sphere of annihilation trap, and no player wants their character to be destroyed with no save. So set aside the idea of whether they can beat the PCs and instead say "How can they get the PCs out of Zilargo as quickly and safely as possible." Which means that instead of FIGHTING the PCs, the most likely answer is that the Trust will HELP them to get what they want—either obviously or secretly. They'll surround the PCs with undercover agents, who will make sure that the PCs get the information they need as quickly as possible. Heck, if the PCs are looking for an object, it could just turn up on their bed with a note saying "You can go now." Again, the Trust doesn't LIKE assassinating people; it's just always looking for the most efficient way to protect the people of Zilargo.
Video Games
"The sin is not in being outmatched, but in failing to recognize it".
— The Ancestor, Darkest Dungeon
"My advice for hunting a deathclaw: return to base and forget about it. You'll live longer."
— Paladin Danse, Fallout 4
"A leader must sometimes choose cowardice; never reckless courage."
Holst: If you keep holding back, Nader, you'll have to retire that overblown title of yours!
Nader: I'm Nader the Undefeated because I know when it's smart to run—and I'll come back to end you when I damn well feel like it!
Nader: I'm Nader the Undefeated because I know when it's smart to run—and I'll come back to end you when I damn well feel like it!
"Scanner shows new enemy targets. I'm not engaging. The enemy's too strong right now. It'll be suicide!"
— Male pirate pilot, Freelancer
Green Arrow: Stop! Please!
Brainiac: Cause and effect. Resistance begets violence.
Green Arrow: Then we won't resist! Please, just stop!
Brainiac: Cause and effect. Resistance begets violence.
Green Arrow: Then we won't resist! Please, just stop!
"Turn around, walk away, blow town. That would've been the smart thing to do. Guess I wasn't that smart."
Dusknoir: Shall we settle this?
Skuntank: Chaw-haw! Sure, if it was just (team name). You can bet that we'd rough 'em up good! But against the world-famous Dusknoir...? That's a different story! Let's skedaddle, boys!
Koffing and Zubat: Yeah!
Skuntank: Chaw-haw! Sure, if it was just (team name). You can bet that we'd rough 'em up good! But against the world-famous Dusknoir...? That's a different story! Let's skedaddle, boys!
Koffing and Zubat: Yeah!
"Last thing I expected to see in a castle is a cowboy... Rather not go up against a gun."
"Yo yo yo! Pretty strong, ain't you? Then go right ahead. I'm no numskull. I don't fight battles I can't win!"
— Team Skull Grunt, Pokémon Sun and Moon
"You know, deleting Caroline just now taught me a valuable lesson. The best solution to a problem is usually the easiest one. And I'll be honest. Killing you... is hard. Do you know what my days used to look like? I just tested! Nobody murdered me. Or put me in a potato. Or fed me to birds. I had a pretty good life. And then YOU showed up. You dangerous. Mute. Lunatic. So you know what? You win! Just. Go. (soft laughter) It's been fun. Don't come back."
— GLaDOS, Portal 2
You want your freedom? Take it.
That's what I'm counting on.
I used to want you dead, but
Now I only want you gone.
That's what I'm counting on.
I used to want you dead, but
Now I only want you gone.
"As they say — sometimes the best offense... is running for your life!"
— Marie, Splatoon
"Well, hey, take it from me, kid. Someday... you gotta learn when to QUIT. And that day's TODAY."
— Sans, Undertale
"Rats ain't the sharpest animal in the bunch, but we always know when to tuck our tails 'n scurry home."
— Rock Rat Soldier, Unicorn Overlord
"Your opponent has surrendered due to the lock effect of 'Yata-Garasu'."
— Many a video game based on Yu-Gi-Oh!
Web Animation
"I may be a gambling man, but even I know there are some bets you just don't take."
— Roman Torchwick, RWBY
Webcomics
Barberian: So are we doing this? It's just two on one seems unfair, and that chick shoots purple lightning like the Emperor! I'm just here because some of my buddies came. I'm a hairdresser!
Dabbler: Well, you could surrender.
Barberian: Could I? That would be so great!
Dabbler: Well, you could surrender.
Barberian: Could I? That would be so great!
"About [your orders]. I've decided to go back to being a mercenary. Thanks for the awesome Stryder, though."
— Clover, speaking over communicator, In Our Shadow page 350
Tiffany: Ms. President, I vote we run.
Faith: [the only other one there] The motion carries.
Faith: [the only other one there] The motion carries.
"Negotiating from a position of strength does not mean you shouldn't also negotiate from a position near the exits."
"Failure is not an option. It is mandatory. The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do."
Web Original
"At some point, hanging in there just makes you look like an even bigger loser."
— Despair, Inc. Demotivational Poster
"See, the secret to survival in this game is knowing when to run away. King Arthur had the right idea, that's why he was the king."
— Ross's Game Dungeon: Hinterland
"It's said that discretion is the better part of valor, and in Gears of War 2, that means cheesing it when the F-off-massive worm with giant teeth shows up."
Popeye: Alright, lemme just get a bite of my spinach-
Bluto: Nope. I'm out.
Popeye: What?
Bluto: Listen, Popeye: Every fight we've ever had, it turns as soon as you eat that thing. I mean, last time we fought, you punched me so hard I turned into a sausage. And after months of therapy and losing my faith in God I realized: If you eat that thing, I am not gonna fight you.
When you have a bad day... give up. Go home and sleep. Fuck it, try again tomorrow. Not every day can become a good day. Some days are fucked and cannot be unfucked. When you have a day that is fucked beyond repair, that is the universe speaking to you, sending you a message. Listen to the universe. Go home. Save your energy. Tomorrow is another day — for now, just fucking chill.
— Self-Help Singh, on especially bad days
, on especially bad days Western Animation
Loan Shark: Sir, if you're calling me a liar, you'd better be holding something stronger than an umbrella.
Hank Hill: Nine-iron.
Loan Shark: ...Y'all have a nice day.
Hank Hill: Nine-iron.
Loan Shark: ...Y'all have a nice day.
—King of the Hill, "Texas City Twister"
"You know what? This was a bad idea. Time to go, girls!"
—The Scotsman to his many daughters, Samurai Jack
"Sometimes you just got to know when to bail."
—Greg Universe, Steven Universe
Leonardo: To surrender is not the warrior's way!
The Ancient One: You won't be much of a warrior without a head!
The Ancient One: You won't be much of a warrior without a head!
Real Life
"He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day."
— An age-old adage
"Well, one of the cornerbacks went missing and still refuses to explain why he left. What other team on the planet does this happen to? At least Dimitrius Underwood fled his team because he was mentally ill. Dimitri Patterson just up and left, like OH FUCK I'M ON THE JETS NOW NO WAY."
— Drew Magary, "Why Your Team Sucks 2014: New York Jets"
For he who fights and runs away,
May live to fight another day;
But he who is in battle slain
Can never rise and fight again.
May live to fight another day;
But he who is in battle slain
Can never rise and fight again.
— Oliver Goldsmith, "The Art of Poetry on a New Plan (1761)"
"Quitters never win, winners never quit, but those who never win and never quit are idiots."
— Traditional
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. There's no use in being a damn fool about it."
"If someone comes at you with a sword, run if you can. Kung fu doesn't always work."
