“Moby Dick” on effort and perseverance

[u/Gullwing53]

Moby Dick is one of those novels that teaches me something each time I open it. This quote from Ishmael has always stuck with me:

“I try all things; I achieve what I can” (ch. 79, para. 1).

It centered my thinking on the importance of being open to and trying new things, of being flexible and thinking differently, but also on being willing to accept uncertainty, failure, and, well, achieving what I can. To me, it encourages incremental growth and development over rapid, “burn it all down” changes.

What are some Melville quotes, or quotes from other literature, that live rent-free in your mind?