--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mode by which the inevitable comes to…" description: "\"The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.\" — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png" --- # The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort. ![“The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.” quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png) > “The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.” [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effort is the mechanism through which inevitable outcomes are realized. **In simple terms:** Effort makes the inevitable happen. Key Takeaway Put effort into achieving goals. Themes effort inevitability action Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - career advancement - personal health - skill acquisition Key Concepts philosophy of will determinism pragmatism Questions to Reflect On - How does effort interact with circumstance? - When is effort insufficient? A Different Perspective Effort alone may not overcome structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) ## Related quotes > [The mode by which the inevitable is reached is effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-is-reached-is-effort/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [Why can't I just be one of those really smart people who pass everything with no effort...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-can-t-i-just-be-one-of-those-really-smart-people-who-pass/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The blow, inevitable in itself, comes straight from the source without any intermediaries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-aboulela/the-blow-inevitable-in-itself-comes-straight-from-the-source-without/) [Leila Aboulela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-aboulela/) > [“When living comes to pass, one wonders: but was that it? And the answer is: that is not only it, that is exactly it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/when-living-comes-to-pass-one-wonders-but-was-that-it-and-the-answer/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [And what 's impossible can't be, And never, never comes to pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-what-s-impossible-can-t-be-and-never-never-comes-to-pass/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What comes to pass does so not so much because a few people want it to happen, as because the mass of citizens abdicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/what-comes-to-pass-does-so-not-so-much-because-a-few-people-want-it/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) > [I assert that nothing ever comes to pass without a cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/i-assert-that-nothing-ever-comes-to-pass-without-a-cause/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [The big play comes with the pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-gillman/the-big-play-comes-with-the-pass/) [Sid Gillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-gillman/) > [Opportunity comes to pass-not to pause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallace/opportunity-comes-to-pass-not-to-pause/) James Wallace > [“And so, it comes to pass in time, that the earth ceases for us to be a weltering chaos. We walk in the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-schreiner/and-so-it-comes-to-pass-in-time-that-the-earth-ceases-for-us-to-be-a/) [Olive Schreiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-schreiner/) > [The thing we look forward to often comes to pass, but never precisely in the way we have imagined to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/the-thing-we-look-forward-to-often-comes-to-pass-but-never-precisely/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Whatever one writes, comes to pass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/whatever-one-writes-comes-to-pass/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [What goes around comes around so I pass my weed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-viera/what-goes-around-comes-around-so-i-pass-my-weed/) [John Viera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-viera/) > [ “Even when lightning flashes inside them \[clouds\], we say they are only clouds and turn our attention to the next meal, next pain, next… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sheldon/even-when-lightning-flashes-inside-them-clouds-we-say-they-are-only/) [Sidney Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-sheldon/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) ## More by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Blood is a destiny. One's genius descends in the stream from long lines of ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/blood-is-a-destiny-one-s-genius-descends-in-the-stream-from-long/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/if-you-don-t-know-what-you-want-you-will-probably-never-get-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Any two philosophers can tell each other all they know in two hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/any-two-philosophers-can-tell-each-other-all-they-know-in-two-hours/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It is mere childishness to expect men to believe as their fathers did; that is, if they have any minds of their own. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/it-is-mere-childishness-to-expect-men-to-believe-as-their-fathers-did/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Longevity is having a chronic disease - and taking care of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/longevity-is-having-a-chronic-disease-and-taking-care-of-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [As for the excellent little wretches who grow up in what they are taught, with never a scruple or a query, ... they signify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/as-for-the-excellent-little-wretches-who-grow-up-in-what-they-are/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [On every stem, on every leaf,... and at the root of everything that grew, was a professional specialist in the shape of grub, caterpillar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/on-every-stem-on-every-leaf-and-at-the-root-of-everything-that-grew/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Three generations of imbeciles are enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/three-generations-of-imbeciles-are-enough/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [A good soldier, like a good horse, cannot be of a bad color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/a-good-soldier-like-a-good-horse-cannot-be-of-a-bad-color/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Free competition is worth more to society than it costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/free-competition-is-worth-more-to-society-than-it-costs/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Systems die; instincts remain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/systems-die-instincts-remain/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In my opinion, economists and sociologists are the people to whom we ought to turn more than we do for instruction in the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/in-my-opinion-economists-and-sociologists-are-the-people-to-whom-we/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [The great end of being is to harmonize man with the order of things, and the church has been a good pitch-pipe, and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-great-end-of-being-is-to-harmonize-man-with-the-order-of-things/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Between two groups of people who want to make inconsistent kinds of worlds, I see no remedy but force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/between-two-groups-of-people-who-want-to-make-inconsistent-kinds-of/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) [Explore all 193 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) ## More Effort quotes > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-love-a-pocket-i-m-about-helping-women-look-as-good-as-possible-on/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) Dayana > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) [Browse all 8,602 Effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-to-pass-is-effort/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Effort" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-to-pass-is-effort/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7de/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-1986_effort_the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-t_2581581.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr", "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": "Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The mode by which the inevitable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-to-pass-is-effort/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-mode-by-which-the-inevitable-comes-to-pass-is-effort/#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 } } ] } ```