"When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace"
About this Quote
The intent is practical self-governance. Lubbock isn’t romanticizing passivity; he’s prescribing emotional discipline after exertion. "Done our best" quietly sets a standard that’s both consoling and demanding. It implies conscience, preparation, competence. But it also smuggles in a limit: beyond a certain point, further fretting isn’t virtue, it’s vanity - an attempt to control what can’t be controlled.
The subtext carries the statesman’s worldview: legitimacy comes from process. You make decisions with the information and integrity available, then accept the verdict of events, voters, markets, weather, fate - whichever force rules the situation. "Peace" is less a feeling than a posture, an outward steadiness that keeps institutions, families, and minds from spiraling into reactive chaos.
Contextually, it’s a Victorian answer to modern anxiety before modern anxiety had a name: perform your responsibilities, then refuse the addictive loop of second-guessing. It works because it’s not comforting fluff; it’s a moral command to relinquish control without relinquishing accountability.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lubbock, John. (2026, January 18). When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-we-have-done-our-best-we-should-wait-the-4792/
Chicago Style
Lubbock, John. "When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-we-have-done-our-best-we-should-wait-the-4792/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-we-have-done-our-best-we-should-wait-the-4792/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.












