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What does this mean to you? QuoteTheodore N. Vail

2K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  Han Solo 
#1 ·
"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable." - Theodore N. Vail
This has been bugging me. What does this really mean?

I mean, my "real" difficulties are my health problems. How can I overcome those? What does "overcome" really mean in this sense?

I mean, I have moved past them as best I can. I deal with them. Does overcome mean "deal with?" LOL

Well, I just looked up overcome, and it says:

verb
verb: overcome; 3rd person present: overcomes; past tense: overcame; gerund or present participle: overcoming; past participle: overcome
succeed in dealing with (a problem or difficulty).
"she worked hard to overcome her paralyzing shyness"
synonyms:get the better of, prevail over, control, get/bring under control, master, conquer, defeat, beat; Moreget over, get a grip on, curb, subdue;
informallick, best
"they overcame their fear of flying"





So, perhaps I have done OK in that sense, but to me, overcome means to totally abolish, get rid of, etc.

What are imaginary difficulties? Is fear one?

I don't know... Just hit me, this morning, when I read this quote. :)

Jen
 
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#2 ·
So, he is saying that to overcome is to conquer, yes?

con·quer
ˈkäNGkər/
verb
verb: conquer; 3rd person present: conquers; past tense: conquered; past participle: conquered; gerund or present participle: conquering
overcome and take control of (a place or people) by use of military force.
"the Magyars conquered Hungary in the Middle Ages"
synonyms:defeat, beat, vanquish, trounce, triumph over, be victorious over, get the better of, worst; Moreovercome, overwhelm, overpower, overthrow, subdue, subjugate, quell, quash, crush, rout;
informallick, best, hammer, clobber, thrash, paste, demolish, annihilate, wipe the floor with, walk all over, make mincemeat of, massacre, slaughter, cream, shellac, skunk
"the Franks conquered the Visigoths"


seize, take (over), appropriate, subjugate, capture, occupy, invade, annex, overrun
"Peru was conquered by Spain"





  • successfully overcome (a problem or weakness).
    "a fear she never managed to conquer"
    synonyms:overcome, get the better of, control, master, get a grip on, deal with, cope with, surmount, rise above, get over; Morequell, quash, beat, triumph over;
    informallick
    "the way to conquer fear"
  • climb (a mountain) successfully.
    "the second American to conquer Everest"
    synonyms:climb, ascend, mount, scale, top, crest More
I highlighted the definition that I think goes best in this quote.
 
#3 ·
...and why in the heck would imaginary ones not be able to be overcome??? Can to! :)
 
#6 ·
That's the whole idea of this. Those of us with chronic problems never ever really get over the fact that we mourn what we no longer are. It's how we handle that "imaginary" part that defines us. It's all in your attitude. Stay strong and positive, ignore the pain and go fishing. That's what I try to do.

As you know, it works better on some days than on other days.:excited::excited:
 
#12 ·
It's all a mental game
If you can mentally conquer a difficulty, then it's conquered.
imaginary difficulties are unconquerable because your mind made it up.
Our brains are powerful, if you truly believe, then it is so


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Correct, you can not conquer something that doesnt exist. Made up stuff in your head does not exist therfore no way to beat it.
 
#5 ·
My take is that this is more about the imaginary difficulties than the real ones because the imaginary difficulties can always be redefined, changed, made to be more imposing, etc. humans can devise huge unsolvable problems in our own minds. the moral of the story: work on the real problems and don't waste time on the imaginary difficulties.
 
#8 ·
Don't worry about the woulda, coulda, shoulda's. Don't dwell on the maybes, possibly's, and might's. Focus on the now and overcome each day as the blessing it is. Life happens right now so enjoy it the ride and do the best you can.

Or at least that is how I read it.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for your opinions. It really helps me to see it from more than my opinion!

I like it, anyhow. Ran across it this morning and I just liked it!
 
#10 ·
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Sometimes it's the perspective of your view on these issues.
God knows that you have and have had some issues.
Yet you are still here.
Keep looking for the budding flowers and happy critters that inhabit your life today.

As for the quote; who knows what his view was at the time he penned this quote. We have all conquered an imaginary foe at one time or another. Some come back, but today I am still the victor.
 
#11 ·
Interesting quote. And, an interesting question. What are imaginary difficulties? I'd have to agree that fear is one of them. In particular a fear of what might or could happen. Maybe other things like a perceived sense of persecution, inferiority, or maybe even a feeling of superiority.

As far as the real difficulties....well, they are real. They present real challenges, real pain, and real emotions. As a Pastor I often hear people say "God won't let me go thru anything I can't handle". I believe that's true, but I also believe sometimes it gets pretty close to unbearable. In those times it realistically takes outside help such as friends, family, and of course the Lord. David wrote "my heart and my strength fail me, but God is the strength of my life". It's not a matter of simply bracing up and being a stronger person.

There's a Scripture that talks about tearing down strongholds and taking our thoughts captive that is usually misinterpreted as talking about spiritual warfare, when in fact it's just referring to the very thing we are talking about.

Not trying to be "religious". Just sharing my perspective of 66 years....35 as a Pastor who has walked through a lot of these kinds of things with other people, and walked through a few of my own.
 
#13 ·
Odd as it may seem some people on some level want to fail. And need an insurmountable reason to do so.

We are only limited by the restrictions we place on ourselves, imaginary or not.

There is no try, there is only do.
 
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