--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is by attempting to reach the top in a…" description: "\"It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world\" — William Cobbett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png" --- # It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that… ![“It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world” quote by William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png) > “It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world” [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing lofty goals instantly without gradual effort creates widespread suffering and failure. **In simple terms:** Rushing to greatness causes pain. Key Takeaway Adopt steady progress. Themes ambition consequences society Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - social reform - personal goals - entrepreneurship Key Concepts political theory human nature Questions to Reflect On - What incremental steps could replace a single leap? - How does patience reduce harm? A Different Perspective Rapid leaps often ignore necessary foundations, leading to collapse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) ## Related quotes > [It is by attempting to reach the top at a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-at-a-single-leap-that-so-much/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is produced in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Those who divorce aren't necessarily the most unhappy, just those neatly able to believe their misery is caused by one other person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/those-who-divorce-aren-t-necessarily-the-most-unhappy-just-those/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No small misery is caused by overworked and unhappy people, in the dark views which they necessarily take up themselves, and force upon others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/no-small-misery-is-caused-by-overworked-and-unhappy-people-in-the/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [More trouble is caused in this world by indiscreet answers than by indiscreet questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/more-trouble-is-caused-in-this-world-by-indiscreet-answers-than-by/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“...And that's the crucial element of life experience that so many of us avoid, you know. Trying something new, taking that single leap of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/and-that-s-the-crucial-element-of-life-experience-that-so-many-of-us/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [People should always mind their own business. More trouble is caused in this world by interference than any other single thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-lamb/people-should-always-mind-their-own-business-more-trouble-is-caused/) [Charlotte Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-lamb/) > [Misery is caused for the most part, not by a heavy crush of disaster, but by the corrosion of less visible evils, which canker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/misery-is-caused-for-the-most-part-not-by-a-heavy-crush-of-disaster/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-indeed-probable-that-more-harm-and-misery-have-been-caused-by/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [“The sweetest misery is that caused by love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-heather/the-sweetest-misery-is-that-caused-by-love/) Alexandria Heather > [Who can estimate the misery that has been caused by this infamous doctrine of eternal punishment? Think of the lives it has blighted-of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/who-can-estimate-the-misery-that-has-been-caused-by-this-infamous/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The greater part of human misery is caused by indolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/the-greater-part-of-human-misery-is-caused-by-indolence/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [Patience is the most necessary quality for business, many a man would rather you heard his story than grant his request. It is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/patience-is-the-most-necessary-quality-for-business-many-a-man-would/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) ## More by William Cobbett > [If the people of Sheffield could only receive a tenth part of what their knives sell for by retail in America, Sheffield might pave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/if-the-people-of-sheffield-could-only-receive-a-tenth-part-of-what/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [WESTBURY, a nasty odious rotten-borough, a really rotten place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/westbury-a-nasty-odious-rotten-borough-a-really-rotten-place/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as the smallness of his wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-not-the-greatness-of-a-man-s-means-that-makes-him-independent/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [There never yet was, and never will be, a nation permanently great, consisting, for the greater part, of wretched and miserable families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/there-never-yet-was-and-never-will-be-a-nation-permanently-great/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Protestations of impartiality I shall make none. Theyare always useless and are besides perfect nonsense, when used bya news-monger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/protestations-of-impartiality-i-shall-make-none-theyare-always/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Never esteem men on account of their riches or their station. Respect goodness, find it where you may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/never-esteem-men-on-account-of-their-riches-or-their-station-respect/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [DEAL is a most villainous place. It is full of filthy-looking people.Great desolationof abomination has beengoing on here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/deal-is-a-most-villainous-place-it-is-full-of-filthy-looking-people/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [“He who can deliberately inflict torture upon an animal, in order to heighten the pleasure his palate is to receive in eating it, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/he-who-can-deliberately-inflict-torture-upon-an-animal-in-order-to/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Patience is the most necessary quality for business, many a man would rather you heard his story than grant his request. It is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/patience-is-the-most-necessary-quality-for-business-many-a-man-would/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Having still in my recollection so many excellent men, to whose grandfathers, upon the same spots, my grandfather had yielded cheerful obedience and reverence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/having-still-in-my-recollection-so-many-excellent-men-to-whose/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is produced in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Free yourself from the slavery of tea and coffee and other slop kettles!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/free-yourself-from-the-slavery-of-tea-and-coffee-and-other-slop/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [The ancient nobility and gentry of the kingdom... have been thrust out of all public employment... a race of merchants, and manufacturers and bankers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/the-ancient-nobility-and-gentry-of-the-kingdom-have-been-thrust-out/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [But what is to be the fate of the great wen of all? The monster, called, by the silly coxcombs of the press, "the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/but-what-is-to-be-the-fate-of-the-great-wen-of-all-the-monster-called/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [The very hirelings of the press, whose trade it is to buoy up the spirits of the people. have uttered falsehoods so long, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/the-very-hirelings-of-the-press-whose-trade-it-is-to-buoy-up-the/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) [Explore all 76 William Cobbett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. 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There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Cobbett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c42/william-cobbett-8980_achievement_it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in_2495773.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world” — William Cobbett", "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": "William Cobbett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is by attempting to reach...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/it-is-by-attempting-to-reach-the-top-in-a-single-leap-that-so-much-2/#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 } } ] } ```