Perseverance and resilience
Every noble work is at first impossible.
— Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), From Past and Present (1843), Chapter XI : Labour

Perseverance and resilience

What it means

Every great piece of work looks impossible at the start. That feeling is not a reason to stop but a normal part of beginning something worthwhile.

About the author

Thomas Carlyle — Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher (1795–1881).

Source and verification

Source
From Past and Present (1843), Chapter XI : Labour
Reference
Thomas Carlyle on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: the author died in 1881.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

More on perseverance and resilience

“A journey of a thousand miles started with a first step.”

Laozi

“Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.”

John Ruskin

“Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.”

Abraham Lincoln