George MacDonald Quotes

What interests me is the surprising enormous extent to which most people accept the fate that's been given to them, and find some dignity.

I accept reality and dare not question it.

Whatever necessity lays upon thee, endure; whatever she commands, do.

Stupidly it should not be. It should be also nice. One must get along with that. Is however not necessary.

I think we ought to take the world as it is and not as we would like to have it.

This is not what I would have chosen. But I have a heart to be obedient.

To hard necessity ones will and fancy must conform.

If it is, it is, If it's not, it's not.

If you want to get along, go along.

When I've gone back to work, it's always with that sense of inevitability. That may be a complete delusion, but it's the one that I need to get out of bed and go about my business. That sense that I can't avoid this thing. I better just get on with it.

Chinese are wise in comprehending without many words what is inevitable and inescapable and therefore only to be borne.

The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.

We must do as we may when we may not do as we would.

The changes were inevitable and one has to accept them gracefully

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.

We don't make the rules. We just play by them.

It is the essence of dignity to pretend to desire what you cannot prevent.

To understand why, submit and apply.

Face it," Gary told her kindly. "You'll never catch up. You just do as much as you can and take the punishments without saying anything. Sometimes I wonder if that isn't what they're really trying to teach us--to take plenty and keep our mouths shut.

To take the world as one finds it

To bear lightly the neck's yoke brings strength; but kicking against the goads is the way of failure.

It doesn't matter if the water is cold or warm if you're going to have to wade through it anyway.

I'm not strong-willed, actually. I'm a complete pushover. I love to be told what to do.

He loves his bonds who, when the first are broke, Submits his neck into a second yoke.

Always fall in with what you're asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever's going. Not against: with.