Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.

The line draws a sharp distinction between an isolated setback and an irreversible end, urging resilience and a longer view of one’s fortunes. It implies that failure is often episodic—part of the process of striving—rather than a definitive verdict on character or destiny. Read this way, the quote functions as a corrective to catastrophizing: a single loss can feel total in the moment, but it need not determine the outcome of a larger endeavor. Its enduring appeal lies in its plain, aphoristic encouragement to persist, reassess, and continue, treating defeat as information rather than identity.