Fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 14. Here Steinbeck is very clear about his philosophy. The greatest quality mankind has is to fight and die for a belief. He is speaking in the contest of the seismic changes taking place in the Western States as a result of the huge influx of migrants, some of them fighting for the right to work and better pay. We should only fear when people give up and quit striving for what they believe in, Steinbeck says.