It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed ... The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. All history will convince you of this, and that wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience, not the lessons of retirement and leisure. Great necessities call out great virtues.

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams

Related Quotes

I am more and more convinced that man is a dangerous creature and that power, whether vested in many or a few, is ever grasping, and like the grave, cries, 'Give, give.'

— Abigail Adams

AmConvincedCreature

My bursting heart must find vent at my pen.

— Abigail Adams

historicalinspiringliteracy

We have too many high sounding words and too few actions that correspond with them.

— Abigail Adams

actionvocabularywords

The habits of a vigorous mind are born in contending with difficulties.

— Abigail Adams

challengeintelligencetrial

If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

— Abigail Adams