When the world says 'impossible', respond with steady practice and kind resolve — Nawal El Saadawi
—What lingers after this line?
Hearing “Impossible” as a Social Verdict
Nawal El Saadawi’s line begins where many struggles start: not with an inner limit, but with an external judgment. “The world” here is less the planet than the chorus of institutions, customs, and casual voices that declare what a person—often a woman, often an outsider—should not attempt. From that starting point, the quote reframes “impossible” as something spoken, not something proven. Once impossibility is recognized as a verdict delivered by power, fear, or habit, it becomes open to challenge—not by grand speeches, but by what El Saadawi proposes next: steady practice and kind resolve.
Steady Practice as Quiet Defiance
Rather than answering with rage or theatrics, El Saadawi points to repetition: the ordinary discipline of showing up again and again. Steady practice turns distant goals into daily actions, replacing the intimidation of a huge barrier with the manageable question of what can be done today. In this way, practice becomes a form of evidence. Each attempt—even imperfect—adds to a record that contradicts the world’s claim. Over time, the “impossible” starts to look less like a wall and more like a skill not yet mastered, a door not yet tried, or a system not yet forced to adapt.
Kind Resolve Without Losing Yourself
Importantly, El Saadawi pairs resolve with kindness, implying firmness without cruelty. Resolve is the backbone that keeps a person moving despite resistance, but kindness shapes how that movement affects others and oneself—preventing the struggle from hardening into bitterness. This kindness is not the softness of surrender; it is the discipline of refusing to mirror the contempt behind “impossible.” It suggests boundaries held without humiliation, ambition pursued without trampling, and persistence that protects dignity. In that sense, kindness becomes a strategy for endurance, because a goal pursued with self-respect lasts longer than one fueled by spite.
The Long Game of Changing What Seems Fixed
As practice accumulates and resolve stays gentle, something larger can shift: the conditions that made “impossible” feel authoritative. What once looked like a personal limitation may reveal itself as a shortage of access, training, allies, or time—factors that can be altered. El Saadawi’s own public life underscores this approach; her writings and activism repeatedly confronted entrenched norms, showing how persistence can turn taboo subjects into public debate. In that light, the quote reads not as motivational decoration but as a method for turning private effort into social pressure—slowly, consistently, and with a refusal to dehumanize.
Turning Resistance into a Daily Method
Finally, the quote offers a practical template for moments when discouragement is constant: respond, don’t react. The world may repeat “impossible” through rejections, mockery, or gatekeeping, yet the answer El Saadawi recommends is repeatable too—practice that builds capability and resolve that stays humane. Over time, this method does more than achieve a single outcome; it forms a person who can keep choosing forward motion under strain. The ultimate victory is not only proving a claim wrong, but cultivating a steady inner life that no longer depends on the world’s permission to try.
One-minute reflection
What feeling does this quote bring up for you?
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