AN UNAVOIDABLE REALITY

Anne Brontë, the English novelist (1820–1849), wrote with realism. One of her sayings is:

“There is always a ‘but’ in this imperfect world.”

This is a wise truth. The world was created as a place of testing, so perfection cannot exist here. There are many limitations. Every person has freedom of thought and action. Conflicts of interest constantly arise. A smooth life is impossible. Everyone encounters a “but.”

It is therefore essential to keep this fact in mind in all our actions, or else we will end in failure. You may drive your car fast on the road, but you cannot stop oncoming traffic to keep it clear for yourself. You may quarrel with an unwanted procession, but you cannot stop the police from intervening afterwards. You may hold rallies and protests for a national cause, but you cannot prevent the other side from reacting. You may raise a storm of protests in the name of injustice, but you cannot change the law of life that says: a person receives only as much as they have prepared themselves for.

In this world, an obstacle of ‘but’ exists in every direction. Recognize these obstacles, and plan your actions with them in mind. If you ignore them, the end can only be disaster.