The Conquest of Obstacles
奧裏森·馬登 / Orison Marden
“What a fine profession ours would be if there were no gibbets！” said one of two highwaymen who chanced to pass a gallows. “Tut， you blockhead，” replied the other，“gibbets are the making of us； for， if there were no gibbets， every one would be a highwayman.” Just so with every art， trade， or pursuit； it is the difficulties that scare and keep out unworthy competitors.
“Adversity is a severe instructor，” says Edmund Burke，“set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves， as He loves us better too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object， and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial .”
Strong characters， like the palm tree， seem to thrive best when most abused. Men who have stood up bravely under great misfortune for years are often unable to bear prosperity. Their good fortune takes the spring out of their energy， as the torrid zone enervates races accustomed to a vigorous climate. Some people never come to themselves until baffled， rebuffed， thwarted， defeated， cashed， in the opinion of those around them. Trials unlock their virtues； defeat is the threshold of their victory.
“To make his way at the bar，” said an eminent jurist，“a young man must live like a hermits and work like a horse. There is nothing that does a young lawyer so much good as to be half starved. ”
We are the victors of our opponents. They have developed in us the very power by which we overcome them.
Without their opposition we could never have braced and anchored and fortified ourselves， as the oak is braced and anchored for its thousand battles with the tempests. Our trials， our sorrows， and our griefs develop us in a similar way.