"I have been asked what I mean by "Word of honor". I will tell you: Place  me behind prison walls-walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground-there is a possibility that in some way or another I might be able to escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give MY WORD OF HONOR never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle? No, never! I'd die first."  

-Karl G. Maeser 

What I understand from this quote is that