"Man stands in need of a certain degree of firmness in all the circumstances of life, even those that appear most fortunate ; and when painful events occur, such as you now experience, they are perhaps sent only to try and prove us; and if we have the resolution to hold fast in our hour of trial, from this very firmness itself serenity soon returns to the mind, which always feels satisfaction in acting conformably to duty."

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English

Sources

. Letter I. 15 (p. 186)

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Humboldt