--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the world is storm-driven and the…" description: "\"“When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else from view, then we n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg" --- # When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens… ![“When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else from view, then we need to know all the strong fortresses of the spirit which men have built through the ages.” quote by David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg) > ““When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else from view, then we need to know all the strong fortresses of the spirit which men have built through the ages.”” [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In crises, we must recall the enduring inner strengths humanity has cultivated over centuries to endure adversity. **In simple terms:** Recall historic inner strengths during crises. Key Takeaway Seek timeless inner fortresses. Themes resilience history spirituality Mood reflective determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal hardship - global emergencies - mental health support - leadership during disaster Key Concepts philosophy psychology cultural heritage Questions to Reflect On - What inner strengths have you drawn upon in difficulty? - How can ancient wisdom guide contemporary resilience? A Different Perspective Historical examples may not directly apply to modern problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fortresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortresses/) ## Related quotes > [When the world is storm-driven and bad things happen, then we need to know all the strong fortresses of the spirit which men have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-bad-things-happen-then-we-need-to/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [I'm gonna take this world by storm. Pun unintended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-reid/i-m-gonna-take-this-world-by-storm-pun-unintended/) [Storm Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-reid/) > [I am keenly aware that the wealth and power of the European nations are the result not only of their having ships and powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/i-am-keenly-aware-that-the-wealth-and-power-of-the-european-nations/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [The two fortresses which are the last to yield in the human heart, are hope and pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howard-latimer/the-two-fortresses-which-are-the-last-to-yield-in-the-human-heart-are/) [Lewis Howard Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howard-latimer/) > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [The enemy and his allies are now at the gates of the capitalists' fortress. Is there any hope that the businessman will finally sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-a-rogge/the-enemy-and-his-allies-are-now-at-the-gates-of-the-capitalists/) Benjamin A. Rogge > [Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/neither-a-fortress-nor-a-maidenhead-will-hold-out-long-after-they/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I love you Lord, you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. And my God is my rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/i-love-you-lord-you-are-my-strength-the-lord-is-my-rock-my-fortress/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [In scripture we are told of some trusting in God and others trusting in idols, and that God is our refuge, our strength, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/in-scripture-we-are-told-of-some-trusting-in-god-and-others-trusting/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/why-not-invest-in-the-future-of-music-instead-of-building-fortresses/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“Defense mechanisms protect us. Fortresses isolate us. And far too often we begin with the former and end up constructing the latter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/defense-mechanisms-protect-us-fortresses-isolate-us-and-far-too-often/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [What happened in Kosovo was the exact reversal of what happened in 'Fortress Europe' in 1943-45. Let me explain. Air Marshall 'Bomber' Harris used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/what-happened-in-kosovo-was-the-exact-reversal-of-what-happened-in/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/constantinople-was-the-principal-seat-and-fortress-of-arianism-and-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) ## More by David McCullough > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Steamboats by this time were becoming a familiar presence on the rivers and coastal waters of America, but not until 1838 did steam-powered ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/steamboats-by-this-time-were-becoming-a-familiar-presence-on-the/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [I feel that history is in many ways the most important of all subjects because it is about everything and because it's about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-feel-that-history-is-in-many-ways-the-most-important-of-all/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/even-mighty-states-and-kingdoms-are-not-exempted-if-we-look-into/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/history-isn-t-just-what-happened-but-what-happened-to-whom-and-why/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Nobody ever lived in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nobody-ever-lived-in-the-past/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Only TR openly declared his love for the job. “Nobody ever enjoyed the presidency as I did,” he boasted, and by all evidence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/only-tr-openly-declared-his-love-for-the-job-nobody-ever-enjoyed-the/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“s ships Phoenix and Rose, in the company of three tenders, cast off their moorings at Staten Island and started up the harbor under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/s-ships-phoenix-and-rose-in-the-company-of-three-tenders-cast-off/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“a people may let a King fall, yet still remain a people, but if a King let his people slip from him, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/a-people-may-let-a-king-fall-yet-still-remain-a-people-but-if-a-king/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Why limit yourself to the experience of your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your biological clock, when the whole realm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/why-limit-yourself-to-the-experience-of-your-own-relatively-brief/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“He worked at a plain, tall desk at which he wrote standing up or perched on a high stool,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-worked-at-a-plain-tall-desk-at-which-he-wrote-standing-up-or/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Nothing happens in isolation. Everything that happens has consequences. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nothing-happens-in-isolation-everything-that-happens-has-consequences/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [America faces an enemy who believes in enforced ignorance. And all that we stand for is the open mind, the generous spirit, the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/america-faces-an-enemy-who-believes-in-enforced-ignorance-and-all/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-shorthand-answer-is-that-i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-book-that-i/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Seen under the microscope, Stegomyia is a creature of striking beauty. Its general color is dark gray, but the thorax is marked with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/seen-under-the-microscope-stegomyia-is-a-creature-of-striking-beauty/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) [Explore all 291 David McCullough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) ## More Fortresses quotes > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/constantinople-was-the-principal-seat-and-fortress-of-arianism-and-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [What happened in Kosovo was the exact reversal of what happened in 'Fortress Europe' in 1943-45. Let me explain. Air Marshall 'Bomber' Harris used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/what-happened-in-kosovo-was-the-exact-reversal-of-what-happened-in/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [“Defense mechanisms protect us. Fortresses isolate us. And far too often we begin with the former and end up constructing the latter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/defense-mechanisms-protect-us-fortresses-isolate-us-and-far-too-often/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/why-not-invest-in-the-future-of-music-instead-of-building-fortresses/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [In scripture we are told of some trusting in God and others trusting in idols, and that God is our refuge, our strength, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/in-scripture-we-are-told-of-some-trusting-in-god-and-others-trusting/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [I love you Lord, you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. And my God is my rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/i-love-you-lord-you-are-my-strength-the-lord-is-my-rock-my-fortress/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/neither-a-fortress-nor-a-maidenhead-will-hold-out-long-after-they/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The enemy and his allies are now at the gates of the capitalists' fortress. Is there any hope that the businessman will finally sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-a-rogge/the-enemy-and-his-allies-are-now-at-the-gates-of-the-capitalists/) Benjamin A. Rogge > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [The two fortresses which are the last to yield in the human heart, are hope and pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howard-latimer/the-two-fortresses-which-are-the-last-to-yield-in-the-human-heart-are/) [Lewis Howard Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howard-latimer/) > [All dignified people in the world, whether Arabs or Muslims or others with dignity, are very proud of the speech made by president Bashar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/all-dignified-people-in-the-world-whether-arabs-or-muslims-or-others/) [George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/) > [ If you call \[the synagogue\] a brothel, a den of vice, the devil's refuge, Satan's fortress, a place to deprave the soul, an abyss… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/if-you-call-the-synagogue-a-brothel-a-den-of-vice-the-devil-s-refuge/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [What's this about?" "Finally. Interest," was the only response. "If this is one of your tricks..." Like the time Torin had ordered hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/what-s-this-about-finally-interest-was-the-only-response-if-this-is/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) [Browse all 152 Fortresses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortresses/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else from view, then we need to know all the strong fortresses of the spirit which men have built through the ages.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David McCullough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-bad-that-happens-and-the-worse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fortresses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-bad-that-happens-and-the-worse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/david-mccullough-1091_fortresses_when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-b_218076.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When the world is storm-driven and the bad that happens and the worse that threatens are so urgent as to…” — David McCullough", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David McCullough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When the world is storm-driven and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-bad-that-happens-and-the-worse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/when-the-world-is-storm-driven-and-the-bad-that-happens-and-the-worse/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```