Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all

Thomas Carlyle, the stern prophet of the nineteenth century, once declared: “Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” These words rise like a trumpet blast, calling all who falter to stand upright. For Carlyle teaches us that greatness does not belong to those who walk only in fair weather, but to those who press forward when the storm rages, when the path is dark, when the weight of the world presses upon their shoulders.

The ancients understood this truth. They sang of Odysseus, who endured ten years of wandering across hostile seas and strange lands, not because his path was smooth, but because he would not yield. They honored Hercules, whose labors seemed impossible, yet who accomplished them through sheer endurance of spirit. To the ancients, as to Carlyle, the mark of a strong soul was never ease, but the refusal to surrender in the face of obstacles.

Consider the life of Nelson Mandela. Imprisoned for twenty-seven years, stripped of freedom, locked away in a small cell, he faced not only the bars of a prison but the crushing weight of hopelessness. Yet he did not collapse into despair. His persistence turned captivity into a forge. When he was released, he emerged not bitter, but resolute, strong enough to guide his people into reconciliation. Here was a living example of Carlyle’s teaching: perseverance against the impossible transformed him into a man whose strength reshaped a nation.

So it is with all who seek to rise. The weak soul retreats when discouraged, falters when opposed, and collapses when faced with impossibility. But the strong soul presses forward, even with trembling steps. It may stumble, but it rises again. It may be beaten down, but it refuses to remain in the dust. This is the difference Carlyle names: the strong do not escape hardship; they endure it, and in enduring, they are transformed.

The meaning of this teaching is both fierce and liberating. Life will not spare you obstacles; it will hurl them like stones in your path. It will not shield you from discouragements; it will whisper in your ear that your cause is futile. It will not hide impossibilities; it will present them as towering walls. But if you meet these not with surrender, but with permanence of purpose, perseverance of effort, and persistence of spirit, you will find that even the impossible bends to your will.

The lesson for us all is this: do not measure your strength by victories alone, but by the courage to continue when victory seems far away. For true greatness is not in never failing, but in never quitting. The strong soul is forged in fire, and fire is found in trial. If you would grow mighty, welcome adversity not as curse, but as teacher.

Therefore, let each person cultivate these three virtues. Practice permanence by holding fast to what you believe, even when the world mocks you. Practice perseverance by pressing on daily, even in small steps, when the goal seems distant. Practice persistence by rising again after each fall, by refusing to let defeat be your master. In these habits, strength is built, and the soul becomes unbreakable.

Thus Thomas Carlyle’s words remain as iron counsel across the centuries: “Permanence, perseverance and persistence… it is this, that distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Carry this truth within you, and you will not fear the storm, for you will know that storms are but the proving ground of the spirit. And when you have endured, you will stand among the strong, unshaken, unbroken, and eternal.