--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man of sense is never discouraged by…" description: "\"A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.\" — Wil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png" --- # A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he… ![“A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png) > “A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Resilient individuals respond to setbacks by intensifying effort, ultimately achieving success. **In simple terms:** Hard work overcomes obstacles. Key Takeaway Redouble effort when discouraged. Themes perseverance resilience determination Mood determined reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career setbacks - academic challenges - personal goals - health recovery Key Concepts Psychology self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you maintain motivation after repeated failures? - What supports help sustain perseverance? A Different Perspective Success may still be delayed despite increased effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Courage and perseverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-and-perseverance/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Diligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diligence/) [Diligence Perseveres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diligence-perseveres-890005/) [Discouraged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discouraged/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Industry Diligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry-diligence-890008/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Perserverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perserverance/) [Perseverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseverance/) [Persevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persevere/) [Perseverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseverence/) [Perseveres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseveres-890007/) [Perseveres Infallibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perseveres-infallibly-890006/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/nothing-in-the-world-can-take-the-place-of-persistence/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/nothing-in-this-world-can-take-the-place-of-persistence-talent-will-4/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [There is nothing more common than unsuccessful men with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-strummer/there-is-nothing-more-common-than-unsuccessful-men-with-talent/) [Joe Strummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-strummer/) > [Zeal is the great desire to make God known, loved, and served, and thus to bring knowledge of salvation to others. Activity flows from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basil-moreau/zeal-is-the-great-desire-to-make-god-known-loved-and-served-and-thus/) [Basil Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basil-moreau/) > [“If pursuing the positive is a negative, then pursuing the negative generates the positive. The pain you pursue in the gym results in better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/if-pursuing-the-positive-is-a-negative-then-pursuing-the-negative/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/the-habit-of-persistence-is-the-habit-of-victory/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) > [Perceptions of impossibility are commonly disspelled by unmitigated courage and perseverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/perceptions-of-impossibility-are-commonly-disspelled-by-unmitigated/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [“Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.”                                             John Quincy Adams”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalinda-morgan/courage-and-perseverance-have-a-magical-talisman-before-which-2/) [Rosalinda Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalinda-morgan/) > [“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/genius-is-one-percent-inspiration-ninety-nine-percent-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Your courage and perseverance will reward you with great success. Take your actions and ideals forward with a sense of justice, the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/your-courage-and-perseverance-will-reward-you-with-great-success-take/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/failure-is-only-postponed-success-as-long-as-courage-coaches-ambition-2/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Suffering through your fears and anxieties is what allows you to build courage and perseverance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/suffering-through-your-fears-and-anxieties-is-what-allows-you-to/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [It feels good to show some courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-namath/it-feels-good-to-show-some-courage/) [Joe Namath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-namath/) > [Courage and perseverance make difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-and-perseverance-make-difficulties-disappear-and-obstacles/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/courage-and-perseverance-have-a-magical-talisman-before-which/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) ## More by William James > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Our minds thus grow in spots; and like grease-spots, the spots spread. But we let them spread as little as possible: we keep unaltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/our-minds-thus-grow-in-spots-and-like-grease-spots-the-spots-spread/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Circumstance does not make me, it reveals me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/circumstance-does-not-make-me-it-reveals-me/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > ['Facts' are the bounds of human knowledge, set for it, not by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/facts-are-the-bounds-of-human-knowledge-set-for-it-not-by-it/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Woe to him whose beliefs play fast and loose with the order which realities follow in his experience; they will lead him nowhere or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/woe-to-him-whose-beliefs-play-fast-and-loose-with-the-order-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We never fully grasp the import of any true statement until we have a clear notion of what the opposite untrue statement would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-never-fully-grasp-the-import-of-any-true-statement-until-we-have-a/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is your friends who make your world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-your-friends-who-make-your-world/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/human-beings-can-alter-their-lives-by-altering-their-attitudes-of-mind/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Most people, probably, are in doubt about certain matters ascribed to their past. They may have seen them, may have said them, done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/most-people-probably-are-in-doubt-about-certain-matters-ascribed-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“How soon, indeed, are human things forgotten! As we meet here this morning, the Southern sun is shining on their place of burial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/how-soon-indeed-are-human-things-forgotten-as-we-meet-here-this/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [There can be no difference anywhere that does not make a difference somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-can-be-no-difference-anywhere-that-does-not-make-a-difference/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-wrong-always-everywhere-and-for-everyone-to-believe-anything/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Explore all 854 William James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-difficulties-he-redoubles-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-difficulties-he-redoubles-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/william-james-228_adversity_a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-d_2483566.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he…” — William James", "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 James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man of sense is never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-difficulties-he-redoubles-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-difficulties-he-redoubles-his/#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 } } ] } ```