“I may say that this is the greatest factor: the way in which the expedition is equipped, the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order, luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time, this is called bad luck.” PeopleWayMayCertainOrderTakenVictoryDifficultyLuckMeetingsDefeatFactorsAvoidingNeglectedBad LuckExpeditionsPrecautionForeseen Book:The South Pole Source: The South Pole
“With some exceptions in science fiction and other genres I have small difficulty in avoiding anything that could be called American literature. I feel it is unnatural, not I think entirely because it uses a language that is not mine, however closely akin to my own.” ThinkingFeelsUseLiteratureLanguageMy OwnFictionMinesDifficultyScience FictionGenreExceptionAvoidingUnnaturalAmerican Literature Author:Kingsley Amis
“The wishes of the people, seldom founded in deep disquisitions, or resulting from other reasonings than their present feelings, may not entirely accord with our true policy and interest. If they do not, to observe a proper line of conduct for promoting the one, and avoiding offence to the other, will be a work of great difficulty.” PeopleIfsMayFeelingsWishInterestLinesPolicyDifficultyReasoningAvoidingPromotingAccordOffence Book:The Life of General Washington: First President of the United States Source: The Life of General Washington: First President of the United States
“Much has seen said of the wisdom of old age. Old age is wise, I grant, for itself, but not wise for the community. It is wise in declining new enterprises, for it has not the power nor the time to execute them; wise in shrinking from difficulty, for it has not the strength to overcome it; wise in avoiding danger, for it lacks the faculty of ready and swift action, by which dangers are parried and converted into advantages. But this is not wisdom for mankind at large, by whom new enterprises must be undertaken, dangers met, and difficulties surmounted.” SaidAgeActionCommunityWiseMankindDangerReadyMetsAdvantageOvercomingDifficultyOld AgeEnterpriseFacultyGrantsAvoidingShrinking Author:William C. Bryant
“If we imagine that God is somehow punishing us, then we will live our lives in desperation and in fear that we are somehow avoiding displeasing God. The difficulty with that is as many ideas about how to displease and how to please God, as there are hairs on your head.” IfsIdeasOur LivesImagineHairPleaseDifficultyImagine ThatAvoidingDesperation Author:Neale Donald Walsch
“Our predicament is not the difficulty of attaining happiness, but the difficult of avoiding the misery to which the pursuit of happiness exposes us.” DifficultDifficultyMiseryPursuitAvoidingPursuit Of HappinessPredicamentsAttaining Happiness Author:Michael Joseph Oakeshott
“[N]either in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every way of escaping death. For often in battle there is no doubt that if a man will throw away his arms, and fall on his knees before his pursuers, he may escape death; and in other dangers there are other ways of escaping death, if a man is willing to say and do anything. The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.” IfsMenWayMayWarUseRunningLawFallDoubtDangerWillingArmsOughtBattleMy FriendsDifficultyFasterKneesNo DoubtAvoidingEscapingUnrighteousnessAvoiding Death Author:Socrates
“Consider our difficulties avoiding junk food and overspending. Such addictions were carefully planned-for by professional marketing teams.” TeamDifficultyAddictionMarketingAvoidingJunkJunk FoodOverspending Author:Robert J. Shiller
“The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.” RunningDeathMy FriendsDifficultyFasterAvoidingUnrighteousnessAvoiding Death Author:Socrates