--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is difficult to thinkof any…" description: "\"It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where learning may be said to be impossible.\" — Michael Joseph Oakeshott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png" --- # It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where… ![“It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where learning may be said to be impossible.” quote by Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png) > “It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where learning may be said to be impossible.” [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning is always possible; perceived impossibility stems from limited perspective. **In simple terms:** Learning can happen in any situation. Key Takeaway Seek opportunities to learn despite doubts. Themes education possibility mindset Mood thoughtful optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - classroom - workplace - personal development - crisis management Key Concepts epistemology growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What barriers do you assume make learning impossible? - How can you reframe challenges as learning chances? A Different Perspective Some contexts truly limit learning resources or capacity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Circumstances Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances-learning-4078662/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Thinkof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-thinkof-4078661/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-impossible-936361/) ## Related quotes > [... it is better to believe even what is impossible to our own nature and to men, than to be unbelieving like the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-martyr/it-is-better-to-believe-even-what-is-impossible-to-our-own-nature-and/) [Justin Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-martyr/) > [“Impossible,'" Matthew said. "'Impossible n'est pas français,' Ysabeau said, her tone tart as vinegar. 'And it certainly was not a word in your father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/impossible-matthew-said-impossible-n-est-pas-fran-ais-ysabeau-said/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [ “\[He\]said something that made it impossible to continue working for him.\[The exact words were\]You're fired.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/he-said-something-that-made-it-impossible-to-continue-working-for-him/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [When I told people my plan was to knock everyone out in the amateurs and become world champion as quickly as I could as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-yarde/when-i-told-people-my-plan-was-to-knock-everyone-out-in-the-amateurs/) [Anthony Yarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-yarde/) > [Whoever said nothing is impossible never tried slamming a revolving door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/whoever-said-nothing-is-impossible-never-tried-slamming-a-revolving/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“You right,” Hawk said. “Couldn’t happen. Be like J. Edgar Hoover running around in a dress.” “Exactly,” I said. “Impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/you-right-hawk-said-couldn-t-happen-be-like-j-edgar-hoover-running/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [Environmental scientists in Canada said it was impossible for me to get to the Pole in 2004... 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So I want to try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-poston/my-dad-said-that-the-impossible-is-only-impossible-if-you-don-t-even/) [Ashley Poston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-poston/) > [“Impossible is Nothing,” it said. “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elna-baker/impossible-is-nothing-it-said-impossible-is-just-a-big-word-thrown/) [Elna Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elna-baker/) > [Whoever said nothing is impossible has never tried slamming a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danialla-and-her-bff/whoever-said-nothing-is-impossible-has-never-tried-slamming-a/) [DaniAlla And Her BFF](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danialla-and-her-bff/) ## More by Michael Joseph Oakeshott > [In political activity, then, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea; there is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/in-political-activity-then-men-sail-a-boundless-and-bottomless-sea/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [Education is ... the invitation to disentangle oneself, for a time, from the urgencies of the here and now and to listen to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/education-is-the-invitation-to-disentangle-oneself-for-a-time-from/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [It is certain that most who concentrate upon achievement miss life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/it-is-certain-that-most-who-concentrate-upon-achievement-miss-life/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [A recorded past is no more than a bygone present composed of the footprints made by human beings actually going somewhere but not knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/a-recorded-past-is-no-more-than-a-bygone-present-composed-of-the/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [To be conservative…is to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/to-be-conservative-is-to-prefer-the-familiar-to-the-unknown-to-prefer/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [The man of conservative temperament believes that a known good is not lightly to be surrendered for an unknown better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/the-man-of-conservative-temperament-believes-that-a-known-good-is-not/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [The rule of law bakes no bread, it is unable to distribute loaves or fishes (it has none), and it cannot protect itself against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/the-rule-of-law-bakes-no-bread-it-is-unable-to-distribute-loaves-or/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [The conjunction of ruling and dreaming generates tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/the-conjunction-of-ruling-and-dreaming-generates-tyranny/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [This, I believe, is the appropriate image of human intercourse -- appropriate because it recognizes the qualities, the diversities, and the proper relationships of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/this-i-believe-is-the-appropriate-image-of-human-intercourse/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [Our predicament is not the difficulty of attaining happiness, but the difficult of avoiding the misery to which the pursuit of happiness exposes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/our-predicament-is-not-the-difficulty-of-attaining-happiness-but-the/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [History is what the evidence compels us to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/history-is-what-the-evidence-compels-us-to-believe/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [Politics I take to be the activity of attending to the general arrangements of a set of people whom chance or choice have brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/politics-i-take-to-be-the-activity-of-attending-to-the-general/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [Economics is not an attempt to generalize human desires or human behavior; but to generalize the phenomena of price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/economics-is-not-an-attempt-to-generalize-human-desires-or-human/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [We consider ourselves to be free because no one in our society is allowed unlimited powerno leader, faction, party or 'class', no majority, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/we-consider-ourselves-to-be-free-because-no-one-in-our-society-is/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [Like Midas, the Rationalist is always in the unfortunate position of not being able to touch anything, without transforming it into an abstraction; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/like-midas-the-rationalist-is-always-in-the-unfortunate-position-of/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) [Explore all 23 Michael Joseph Oakeshott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) ## More Circumstances quotes > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [It's impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/it-s-impossible-to-know-who-donald-might-have-been-under-different/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/when-we-watch-a-play-under-the-standard-circumstances-we-ve-lost/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [Being positive helps you to keep away negative thoughts. 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Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-i-could-shape-the-circumstances-around-me-but-now-i/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where learning may be said to be impossible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Joseph Oakeshott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumstances-where-learning-may-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Circumstances" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumstances-where-learning-may-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/michael-joseph-oakeshott-25415_circumstances_it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumsta_2893959.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is difficult to thinkof any circumstances where learning may be said to be impossible.” — Michael Joseph Oakeshott", "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": "Michael Joseph Oakeshott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is difficult to thinkof any...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumstances-where-learning-may-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/it-is-difficult-to-thinkof-any-circumstances-where-learning-may-be/#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 } } ] } ```