--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A difficulty is a light. An…" description: "\"A difficulty is a light. An insurmountable difficulty is a sun.\" — Paul Valery" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/paul-valery-1464_adversity_a-difficulty-is-a-light-an-insurmountabl_2792063.jpg" --- # A difficulty is a light. An insurmountable difficulty is a… ![“A difficulty is a light. An insurmountable difficulty is a sun.” quote by Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/paul-valery-1464_adversity_a-difficulty-is-a-light-an-insurmountabl_2792063.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/paul-valery-1464_adversity_a-difficulty-is-a-light-an-insurmountabl_2792063.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/paul-valery-1464_adversity_a-difficulty-is-a-light-an-insurmountabl_2792063.jpg) > “A difficulty is a light. An insurmountable difficulty is a sun.” [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A difficulty can illuminate a path; an insurmountable one becomes a blinding light that overwhelms. **In simple terms:** Small challenges guide; huge ones overwhelm. Key Takeaway Embrace manageable challenges, avoid overwhelming ones. Themes challenge growth perspective Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - creative work - problem solving - risk assessment Key Concepts metaphor psychology Questions to Reflect On - What difficulty has guided you? - When have you felt overwhelmed? A Different Perspective Not all difficulties are illuminating; some may be destructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) ## Related quotes > [No problem is insurmountable. With a little courage, teamwork and determination a person can overcome anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-problem-is-insurmountable-with-a-little-courage-teamwork-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Passion is a product of the heart. Passion is what helps you when you have a great dream. Passion breeds conviction and turns mediocrity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/passion-is-a-product-of-the-heart-passion-is-what-helps-you-when-you/) [Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/) > [The problem of vindicating an omnipotent and omniscient God in the face of evil is insurmountable. Those who claim to have surmounted it, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-of-vindicating-an-omnipotent-and-omniscient-god-in-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Envy of others builds an insurmountable wall to our own success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/envy-of-others-builds-an-insurmountable-wall-to-our-own-success/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [If an athlete takes a shortcut - literally, for example, by running a street that shortens the marathon route by a quarter mile -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/if-an-athlete-takes-a-shortcut-literally-for-example-by-running-a/) [Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/) > [“Frequently, things are seen as 'insurmountable' merely from a lack of know-how.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/frequently-things-are-seen-as-insurmountable-merely-from-a-lack-of/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [And whenever you encounter a problem, no matter how insurmountable it might seem, there is one simple response that should be ingrained in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/and-whenever-you-encounter-a-problem-no-matter-how-insurmountable-it/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Passion is the engagement of our soul with something beyond us, something that helps us put up with or fight against insurmountable odds, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-hagberg/passion-is-the-engagement-of-our-soul-with-something-beyond-us/) [Janet Hagberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-hagberg/) > [I have yet to encounter that common myth of weak men, an insurmountable barrier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lane-allen/i-have-yet-to-encounter-that-common-myth-of-weak-men-an/) [James Lane Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lane-allen/) > [The best fiction is geared towards conflict. We learn most about our characters through tension, when they are put up against insurmountable obstacles. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/the-best-fiction-is-geared-towards-conflict-we-learn-most-about-our/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/we-are-surrounded-by-insurmountable-opportunities/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [There is no insurmountable solitude. All paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are. And we must pass through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/there-is-no-insurmountable-solitude-all-paths-lead-to-the-same-goal/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Imaginary obstacles are insurmountable. Real ones aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/imaginary-obstacles-are-insurmountable-real-ones-aren-t/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-obstacles-are-insurmountable-when-god-commands-and-we-obey/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a romance novelist, I have a rather skewed view of babies. You see, they don't typically fit into the classic structure of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/as-a-romance-novelist-i-have-a-rather-skewed-view-of-babies-you-see/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) ## More by Paul Valery > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“O Socrates, the universe cannot for one instant endure to be only what it is. It is strange to think that that which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/o-socrates-the-universe-cannot-for-one-instant-endure-to-be-only-what/) [Paul Valéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [We civilizations now know ourselves mortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/we-civilizations-now-know-ourselves-mortal/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [It seems to me that the soul, when alone with itself and speaking to itself, uses only a small number of words, none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/it-seems-to-me-that-the-soul-when-alone-with-itself-and-speaking-to/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Serious people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/serious-people-have-few-ideas-people-with-ideas-are-never-serious/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“I am now going to make an admission. I confess, I agree, that all these good people who protested, who laughed, who did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/i-am-now-going-to-make-an-admission-i-confess-i-agree-that-all-these/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“Degas is one of the very few painters who have given the floor its true importance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/degas-is-one-of-the-very-few-painters-who-have-given-the-floor-its/) [Paul Valéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Politics is the art of preventing people from busying themselves with what is their own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/politics-is-the-art-of-preventing-people-from-busying-themselves-with/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [God created man and, finding him not sufficiently alone, gave him a companion to make him feel his solitude more keenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/god-created-man-and-finding-him-not-sufficiently-alone-gave-him-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [The most ridiculous were those who, on their own authority, made themselves the judges and justices of the tribe. They seemed never to suspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/the-most-ridiculous-were-those-who-on-their-own-authority-made/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [The folly of mistaking oneself for an oracle is built right into us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/the-folly-of-mistaking-oneself-for-an-oracle-is-built-right-into-us/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Thought must be hidden in the verse like nutritional virtue in a fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/thought-must-be-hidden-in-the-verse-like-nutritional-virtue-in-a-fruit/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [To be sincere means to be the same person when one is with oneself; that is to say, alone - but that is all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/to-be-sincere-means-to-be-the-same-person-when-one-is-with-oneself/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [No work of art is ever completed, it is only abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/no-work-of-art-is-ever-completed-it-is-only-abandoned/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Interruption, incoherence, surprise are the ordinary conditions of our life. They have even become real needs for many people, whose minds are no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/interruption-incoherence-surprise-are-the-ordinary-conditions-of-our/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) [Explore all 215 Paul Valery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A difficulty is a light. 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