Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, essay: The

Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work - the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside - the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don't show their effect all at once. There is another sort of blow that comes from within - that you don't feel until it's too late to do anything about it, until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again. The first sort of breakage seems to happen quick - the second kind happens almost without your knowing it but is realized suddenly indeed. Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation - the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=1640

Summary

This quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald reflects on the idea that life is a continuous process of breaking down. It distinguishes between two types of blows that impact our lives - external blows that we perceive and blame on outside forces, and internal blows that we do not feel until it's too late to respond. The quote suggests that the second kind of blow is more significant, as it fundamentally changes who we are. Additionally, Fitzgerald states that a first-rate intelligence is exemplified by the ability to hold contradictory ideas in the mind and still strive to bring about positive change, even in seemingly hopeless situations.