Churchill describes the intense emotional response that can follow exposure to immediate danger when no harm results. The remark reflects the mixture of fear, excitement and relief that may accompany combat. Being fired upon creates a direct threat to life, while escaping injury can produce a heightened sense of survival and exhilaration.

The line comes from Churchill’s account of military service on the north-west frontier of British India and reflects his personal experience of warfare as a young officer and correspondent. Its humorous phrasing turns a potentially lethal event into an observation about human reactions to danger. The quote should not be read as a general judgement that warfare is desirable or harmless; rather, it captures the particular psychological effect of surviving a hazardous encounter. More broadly, it can illustrate how extreme risk may sharpen awareness, intensify emotion and alter perceptions of ordinary experience.