"Everyone confesses that exertion which brings out all the powers of body and mind is the best thing for us; but most people do all they can to get rid of it, and as a general rule nobody does much more than circumstances drive them to do"

This quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe talks to the idea that although all of us understand that physical and mental exertion is advantageous for us, the majority of us try to avoid it. We just do what we have to do, and hardly ever push ourselves beyond our convenience zone. This is a reflection of our humanity, as we often take the course of least resistance. Stowe is recommending that if we want to reach our complete potential, we need to want to push ourselves and take on challenges that might be unpleasant. We need to want to put in the effort and effort to reach our objectives. Only then can we truly reach our greatest capacity and accomplish success.