--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing again, he stressed that the…" description: "\"“Writing again, he stressed that the events of war are always uncertain. Then, paraphrasing a favorite line from the popular play Cato by Joseph Addiso..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/david-mccullough-1091_uncertain_writing-again-he-stressed-that-the-event_2375743.png" --- # Writing again, he stressed that the events of war are… ![“Writing again, he stressed that the events of war are always uncertain. Then, paraphrasing a favorite line from the popular play Cato by Joseph Addison - a line that General Washington, too, would often call upon - Adams told her, "We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.” quote by David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/david-mccullough-1091_uncertain_writing-again-he-stressed-that-the-event_2375743.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/david-mccullough-1091_uncertain_writing-again-he-stressed-that-the-event_2375743.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/david-mccullough-1091_uncertain_writing-again-he-stressed-that-the-event_2375743.png) > ““Writing again, he stressed that the events of war are always uncertain. Then, paraphrasing a favorite line from the popular play Cato by Joseph Addison - a line that General Washington, too, would often call upon - Adams told her, "We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.”” [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. Success is not guaranteed by circumstance, but earned through effort and moral conduct. **In simple terms:** Earn success through deserving actions. Key Takeaway Focus on integrity and hard work. Themes effort ethics uncertainty Mood thoughtful determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - public service - personal integrity Key Concepts desertion war leadership Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you control? - How do you define deserving success? A Different Perspective Unpredictable events can still derail even deserving actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [War is very uncertain in its results, and often when affairs look most desperate they suddenly assume a more hopeful state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meade/war-is-very-uncertain-in-its-results-and-often-when-affairs-look-most/) [George Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meade/) > [“A steel door clapped open as a guard stepped from the bulletproof viewing station across the hall. "Adams!" "That you?" "I told you, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/a-steel-door-clapped-open-as-a-guard-stepped-from-the-bulletproof/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [There is no man that can teach us to be gentlemen better than Joseph Addison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/there-is-no-man-that-can-teach-us-to-be-gentlemen-better-than-joseph/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [On the evening of December 25, General Washington in a most severe season crossed the Delaware with a part of his army, then reduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-otis-warren/on-the-evening-of-december-25-general-washington-in-a-most-severe/) [Mercy Otis Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-otis-warren/) > [Gouverneur Morris had often told me that General Washington believed no more of that system (Christianity) than did he himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/gouverneur-morris-had-often-told-me-that-general-washington-believed/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I served with General Washington in die Legislature of Virginia...and...with Doctor Franklin in Congress. I never heard neither of them speak ten minutes at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-served-with-general-washington-in-die-legislature-of-virginia-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I do believe that General Washington had not a firm confidence in the durability of our government. He was naturally distrustful of men, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-do-believe-that-general-washington-had-not-a-firm-confidence-in-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [When asked what he was fighting for, General Washington, in writing to General Thomas, said the object was 'neither glory nor extent of territory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-harvey/when-asked-what-he-was-fighting-for-general-washington-in-writing-to/) [Doug Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-harvey/) > [I fully agree with General Washington, that we must protect this young nation from an insidious influence and impenetration. The menace, gentlemen, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-fully-agree-with-general-washington-that-we-must-protect-this-young/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When the clergy addressed General Washington on his departure from the government, it was observed in their consultation that he had never on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-the-clergy-addressed-general-washington-on-his-departure-from/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [In my idea General Washington is the greatest man; for I look upon him as the most virtuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/in-my-idea-general-washington-is-the-greatest-man-for-i-look-upon-him/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [The planet's survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planet-s-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [“She's sure, absolutely sure, that what she's waiting for will happen, just the way she wants it to; and I'm so uncertain, so fearful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/she-s-sure-absolutely-sure-that-what-she-s-waiting-for-will-happen/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade ## 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 Uncertain quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. 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Everything dead is certain, life is always uncertain. Everything dead is solid, fixed - its nature cannot be changed;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-life-is-always-uncertain-everything-dead-is-certain-life-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is too uncertain... You must seize happiness where you find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-raybourn/life-is-too-uncertain-you-must-seize-happiness-where-you-find-it/) [Deanna Raybourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-raybourn/) > [The planets survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planets-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“These questions are difficult. The answers are not obvious, and so there should be some pausing, some angst, some honest uncertainty as people struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-harris/these-questions-are-difficult-the-answers-are-not-obvious-and-so/) [Alisa Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisa-harris/) Browse all 808 Uncertain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing again, he stressed that the events of war are always uncertain. 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