MAN CAN BE DESTROYED BUT NOT DEFEATED
I.
Introduction:
A person persists unwaveringly, safeguarding their
honor and principles. Though they may suffer defeat, their ideals endure
undefeated.
II.
Application of the quote to
Hemingway’s novel "The Old Man and the Sea".
III.
Humans possess indomitable
qualities such as patience, willpower, determination, and hope.
IV.
This maxim resonates on
both individual and collective scales.
V.
Throughout history,
humanity has confronted adversities, yet through resilience and endeavor,
minimized the impact of hostile environments.
VI.
Socrates, sentenced to
death for his unwavering stance on his beliefs, epitomizes this philosophy.
VII.
The martyrdom of Hazrat
Hussain (R.A) aligns closely with this assertion.
VIII.
Amidst formidable
challenges during the freedom struggle, Muhammad Ali Jinnah persevered despite
declining health.
IX.
Nelson Mandela embodies the
essence of resilience and perseverance.
X.
Despite facing significant
health challenges, Steve Jobs and Stephen Hawking remained steadfast in their
pursuits.
XI.
Nationally, civilizations
like the Spartans against the Persians, Japan, Vietnam, and Afghanistan,
refused to capitulate despite adversities of war.
XII.
Defeat remains an alien
concept to humanity, the supreme creation of Allah.
XIII.
Conclusion:
A man faces enormous challenges
on different fronts during his life. Sometimes he enjoys the blessings of
success while on some fronts he faces severe failures. It is in human nature
that he does not surrender to these failures. The difficulties, failures, and hardships
of life may shatter him but he never bows before defeat rather he fights back
and tries to smash these unfavorable circumstances by using his intrinsic
powers. This thought-provoking maxim explains the very nature of human beings
that man's journey of life is full of hardships and failures which hampers the
path of his progress. These severe failures deteriorate the physical and mental
strength of man but he does not submit himself to these failures and
challenges. Irrespective of the result he fights back and struggles hard to
overcome these failures. He never gives up and follows the principle of trying
again. Man has conquered the vastness of oceans and the heights of mountains
after experiencing severe damage but he never submitted himself to the might Of
oceans and mountains.
It was Earnest Hemmingway who
remarked about the quality of man that he could perish himself but never accept
defeat. This quotation is an excerpt from Hemingway's novel “The Old Man and
the Sea” in which he exemplifies the courageous spirit of man through his
character Santiago, the old sailor, who tries to catch a big fish. For
eighty-four days he faced failure In achieving his goal and returned home
empty-handed. He faced criticism from the community of sailors but Santiago
bore the taunts silently. And never gave up his resolve. On the eighty fifth
day. he was finally able to catch a big fish but as soon as he brought his prey
near his boat, sharks attacked that fish, and the old sailor was left only with
bones. He fought up to the last but did not give in. He continued fighting
instead of surrendering to fate. In this novel, sharks and the initial failures
of the old sailor symbolize the adverse forces that man has to encounter in
life. On the other hand, the struggle and determination of the old sailor symbolize
the nature of the whole of mankind.
Man is the supreme creature of
Allah and he is a resolute creature imbued with the qualities of patience, willpower,
determination, and hope. All those qualities differentiate him from other
living creatures and enable him to struggle against the heavy odds of life.
Patience allows him to bear the hardships and failures and he patiently waits
for the right moment. His willpower enables him to capitalize on his strengths
and determine his fate and destiny. The element of determination gives him
strength and perseverance to fight back against the toils of life Determination
is necessary to achieve the destiny and goals of life. Another characteristic
that distinguishes humans from other living creatures is “hope”. It is a
well-known fact that hope sustains life. It is hope that strengthens man in
difficult times. It is hoped that enables man to never accept defeat, no matter
how difficult the situation is.
This dictum is equally applicable
on both, individual and collective, levels. Individually, a single human being
does not give up on the difficulties of his personal life and he faces family
and work problems bravely. On national or collective levels, a nation or a
society faces both external and internal problems. History is full of examples
where civilizations and nations faced threats and challenges from nature and
other civilizations but they never gave up and fought bravely against such
threats and difficulties
Man has to face a hostile
environment from the beginning. A man living In caves was exposed to external
dangers. The Ice Ages destroyed the entire generations of mankind. Floods and
droughts killed thousands of people. Scarcity of food non-availability of
proper shelter and Insecurity from the forest beasts posed severe threats to
man. Man was subject to great inconveniences and these threats posed a threat
to his being. But man did not surrender himself to these threats rather by
using his mental and physical abilities and through his resolution and efforts
he Was able to minimize the damages and dangers posed by these difficulties. Through
continuous struggle and patience, man reigned the grip over nature.
Similarly, in the past, the
incidence of diseases was very high. Diseases
like typhoid, yellow fever, TB,
and diarrhea were common and thousands of people were killed because of these
deadly diseases. Death rate was greater than birth rate and the very existence
of humans was in danger as these diseases were uncontrollable and man was in a
weak position. But man did not submit himself to the strength of these diseases
rather by using his mental faculties he invented antibiotics which brought a
revolution in the field of medical sciences. Although, in the start, these
diseases destroyed the generations of mankind man did not accept defeat and
through determination, he defeated the dangers of diseases and gained control
over these deadly threats.
The application of this quotation
can also be found when a man faces threats from other men. In this case, the
men of principles and strong willpower never accept defeat and stand firm on
their ideology and stance. Socrates, a great Greek philosopher, was sentenced
to death for presenting ideas that were not aligned with the prevailing
ideologies. The rulers of that time asked him to withdraw his ideas but he did
not surrender and stood firm on his stance. He accepted the cup of toxic wine
but did not give up his ideas. Today, Socrates is known for his courage and
determination. Modem science approves the authenticity of his ideas while those
who tried to defeat him are unknown to the modern world. Thus, by accepting the
death sentence, Socrates destroyed himself but never submitted to defeat.
The martyrdom of Hazrat Hussain
(R.A) is another classical example which is completely in line with the theme
of the given quotation. The struggle of Hazrat Hussain (R.A) was not a struggle
for power and law. It was not a struggle for personal benefits rather it was
against the unjust and illegal activities of Yazid Ibn Muavya. He did not yield
himself to the unlawful demands of Yazid and preferred to embrace martyrdom
while fighting against evil. The family of Hussain (R A) was subjected to
brutal torture and humiliation but they did not give up the path of Allah.
Today, Hussain’s (R.A) bravery, courage, patience, and determination are
symbolized as a struggle against evil and a struggle against wrong. He accepted
death and the torture of thrust for himself, his sons, and his family but did
not submit to unjust authorities.
The example of Quaid-e-Azam, the
founder of Pakistan can also be cited here. Despite being in the thick of
difficulties of varied nature, he did not yield to < them. He stood against
the opposition of Hindus and against the colonial rule of Great Britain. He
united the Muslims of the sub-continent under a single flag and struggled for a
separate homeland. He faced family and health problems too but he focused on
his goal and fought against the personal and external difficulties of life. The
world defeat was alien to him and even in the most difficult Of times, he did
not budge and inch away from his stance. His health was destroyed during this
struggle but he did not give up and achieved his goal despite deteriorating
health.
Nelson Mandela, a legendary
figure, fought endlessly for the rights of the blacks in South Africa. The
struggle of his life was unparalleled for its bravery and conviction for a just
cause and the liberation of his fellow men and women. He spent twenty-seven
years of his life in prison but did not bow in front of oppressive rulers. He
preferred to wear himself out in the process of struggle rather than rust out.
The twenty-seven years imprisonment could not defeat him and he emerged from
the prison as devoted to the principles of democracy and equality as he had
been before imprisonment. Thus, once again it has been proved that man cannot
be defeated.
Similarly, Steve Jobs and Stephen
Hawking also displayed the practical application of this quotation. Steve Jobs
revolutionized the industry of information technology. He had to face
difficulties on educational and health fronts. He was dropped from college
during his studies and he was suffering from cancer. Despite all these things
he did not give up and fought bravely against cancer to pursue what he wanted
to achieve. Similarly, Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and cosmologist,
suffered from motor neuron disease that paralyzed him gradually over decades.
The only active part of his body was his mind. Imagine a person who cannot even
move yet despite this condition he conquered the world of physics and space
sciences and proved that nothing can defeat a man provided that he has
determination, patience, and passion.
The application of this quotation
can also be found on a national level. A holistic view of history reveals that
nations that had the willpower and determination strived against the
difficulties and challenges of other nations. They used these adversities as
their strength in the pre-Christ era, the Spartans of Greece were challenged by
the Persians, the superpower of that time. The Spartans were fewer in numbers
and they lacked modern warfare equipment. On the other hand, the Persians were
huge in numbers and they had the most sophisticated equipment at that time.
Logically, there was no match between the power of both sides and defeat was
inevitable for the Spartans. But they stood firm for their land and their
determination averted the inevitable defeat.
Similarly, Japan was destroyed on
economic and social fronts after World War II. There existed no chance of
Japan's recovery yet they did not lose hope and gathered their remaining resources
instead of accepting defeat. The atomic warfare destroyed an entire generation
of Japan but instead of giving up they capitalized on their poor condition and
emerged as a strong economic power
in the modern world order.
Similarly, Vietnam also suffered from internal conflicts and foreign invasions.
Internal conflicts and the American invasion destroyed the socio-economic
condition of Vietnam. But the people of Vietnam did not surrender to foreign
powers America was a superpower while Vietnam, at that time, was the weakest
country. The power of America was unmatchable and it seemed clear that defeat was
already written in the fate of Vietnam, Surprisingly, the people of Vietnam
survived against the superpower and showed the world that man can be destroyed
but can’t to defeated.
•Afghanistan is the most famous battlefield
in the world from the eighteenth century to the present day. Afghanistan has
been invaded by Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States. During
these invasions, the social, economic, and political structure was severely
damaged. Afghanistan is the least developed country in the world with poor
economic and financial resources. Despite such troubling conditions, the Afghan
people survived the might of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States
They stood firm with strong determination against foreign powers. The Soviet
Union spent 11 years in Afghanistan to take control of the Afghan people. The
United States has already spent almost fourteen years in Afghanistan. But both
these superpowers proved unsuccessful in defeating the Afghan people. The
courage, determination, and bravery of the Afghan people again proved that man
can be destroyed but can't be defeated.
The word ‘'defeat" is alien
to the supreme creature of Allah. The unyielding attitude of man has enabled
him to take control over the resources of the world and use them for his
benefit All the conveniences and luxuries of modern civilization are a direct
consequence of this attitude. Imagine if Thomas Edison had accepted defeat
after his failure to invent the electric bulb. Sheer determination and patience
were the key ingredients in many scientific discoveries and the evolution of modern-day
political and social systems. Man’s triumph is the culmination of years of
efforts and the successes of man are due to his unyielding behavior towards
difficulties and challenges.
In conclusion, after examining
and observing the behavior of man and practical examples from history, one can
not contradict the truthfulness of Hemming ways message. The essence of the
message is to accept the challenges of life and put in the best effort to
address those challenges. Failures and successes move hand in hand. Challenges
and life moving together. These challenges and failures test the mettle of
individuals and nations. Those who exercise the spirit of patience and remain
determined and resolute in their struggle, emerge successful by defeating the
defeat.
