"It is so tempting to try the most difficult thing possible"
About this Quote
That framing matters coming from Jennie Churchill, a quintessential late-Victorian celebrity who moved through politics, press, salons, and scandal with unusual agency for her era. As a figure defined by public scrutiny and private maneuvering, she understood that "the difficult thing" isn’t only a personal challenge; it’s a social one. For a woman in her position, choosing the hardest option could mean choosing visibility over safety, influence over obedience, desire over decorum. The quote smuggles in a quiet critique of the era’s gendered expectations: if you’re told your proper life is the easy one, difficulty becomes a form of self-authorization.
The sentence is also strategically vague. "The most difficult thing possible" could be a romance, a reinvention, a political intervention, a public role. That elasticity is the point. It turns ambition into a portable philosophy, one that flatters risk without promising redemption. In a culture that prized restraint, she makes audacity sound like the most natural craving in the world.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Churchill, Jennie. (2026, January 16). It is so tempting to try the most difficult thing possible. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-is-so-tempting-to-try-the-most-difficult-thing-117179/
Chicago Style
Churchill, Jennie. "It is so tempting to try the most difficult thing possible." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-is-so-tempting-to-try-the-most-difficult-thing-117179/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It is so tempting to try the most difficult thing possible." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-is-so-tempting-to-try-the-most-difficult-thing-117179/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.












