Surrender is essentially an operation by means of which we set about explaining instead of acting.

Péguy contrasts action with the self-justifying rhetoric that often follows failure of will. “Surrender” here is not merely capitulation to an external force but an inward maneuver: when we stop doing what is required, we begin producing explanations—reasons, excuses, analyses—that make inaction feel intelligible or even virtuous. The line implies that rationalization can become a substitute for responsibility, turning moral and political choices into narratives that absolve the chooser. Its sting lies in diagnosing a common psychological and civic pattern: the more one retreats from commitment, the more one talks, interprets, and explains, as if language could replace the risks and costs of acting.