Is there a difference between surrendering and yielding?

[Barb]

What is the difference, if any between surrendering and yielding?!

I have my opinion, but am interested in what y'all think...

[Coonskinner]

The difference is the context.

Yielding comes from a less belligerent stance of resistance.

Surrendering is what you do when you have been more agressively resisting.

[Coonskinner]

Before we enter the Kingdom, we must surrender.

After we have entered the Kingdom, it should be more a matter of yielding.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Barb

What is the difference, if any between surrendering and yielding?!

I have my opinion, but am interested in what y'all think...

The image that this conjurs up in my mind is this:

A prisoner "surrenders". Not because they want to. They don't have a choice. It's a matter of survival. They can surrender or they can be killed.

In a marriage you "yield". Sometimes you have things that you would rather do, but because your spouse also has things that he/she wants to do, you yield to them because you love them. You want to please them. You want to make things as easy as possible for them. You want their best. So you yield your will and your way in preference to theirs because you love them.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Coonskinner

The difference is the context.

Yielding comes from a less belligerent stance of resistance.

Surrendering is what you do when you have been more agressively resisting.

Hmmm...now, I haven't thought about in quite that way, CS...

I have been thinking along the lines of sureendering when there is no other choice...gun in your face...back against the wall...things like that.

Yielding, on the other hand, is a heart choice...we yield because we love and have a desire to please Him, and not because of fear of hell or anything else.

You've given me something to think about...

[rgcraig]

Yield:
3. to give up, as to superior power or authority: They yielded the fort to the enemy.
4. to give up or surrender (oneself): He yielded himself to temptation.
5. to give up or over; relinquish or resign: to yield the floor to the senator from Ohio.
6. to give as due or required: to yield obedience.

Surrender:
1. to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress: to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.
2. to give (oneself) up, as to the police.
3. to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.: He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.
4. to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).

Are they really different? "to give up" seems to be the basic meaning of both.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Margies3

The image that this conjurs up in my mind is this:

A prisoner "surrenders". Not because they want to. They don't have a choice. It's a matter of survival. They can surrender or they can be killed.

In a marriage you "yield". Sometimes you have things that you would rather do, but because your spouse also has things that he/she wants to do, you yield to them because you love them. You want to please them. You want to make things as easy as possible for them. You want their best. So you yield your will and your way in preference to theirs because you love them.

Exactly my thinking...the soldier can surrender and be a prisioner of war or fight it out and be a casualty of war.

[rrford]

Surrender - "I give up."

Yield - "I don't necessarily give up, but I will allow."

[Ron]

HMMMM, all interesting thoughts.

I always thought that "Surrendering" was "Letting go completely" and "Yielding"
was a certain amount of giving up of control.

Therefore "Surrendering" was something more poerful than "Yielding."

JMHO

[rgcraig]

I see them as the same and as the dictionary describes both words, they are interchangeable to me.