‘For every evil under the sun, there is a remedy or there is none. If there be one, try and find it; if there be none, never mind it.’ (Anonymous)

Good quotes are clear. Good quotes are insightful. Good quotes are instructive. And when quotes are CLEVER—you’ve definitely got a keeper. Today’s quote meets all 4 qualifications. So we’ve got a keeper on our hands.

Expect evils under the sun

The quote begins with a basic assumption—there will be evils under the sun. We will all encounter things in life that are harmful, frightful, and painful. Life cannot be lived without encountering these things. They just go with the territory. They’re just part of the journey. Eventually it rains on everyone. Sooner or later everyone must face a trial or challenge of some kind. Some are fortunate in having to face only a few of them. Some are unfortunate in having to face many of them. But NO ONE gets through life without facing SOME EVILS.

Some evils have remedies

You know from your own experience that some evils have remedies. Some problems have quick and easy solutions. Your car gas gauge reads nearly empty. So you pull over at the next gas station. A common challenge with a simple and quick solution. Think how much greater a problem this would be if you had no money and your credit cards had been cancelled. We can lull ourselves into complacency when so many of our problems are easily solved. But common problems can become uncommon crises depending on the circumstances. We should keep that in mind.

Some evils don’t have remedies

But not every evil has a quick and easy remedy. Some evils have NO REMEDY AT ALL. Some problems cannot be fixed. Not all illnesses are curable. Not all relationships can be healed. Not all financial challenges can be overcome. Sometimes failure is the only option. Denying the failure is not a solution. Denial just produces another evil.

Sometimes we don’t know immediately if there’s a remedy

The quotation goes on to remind us that even if there IS a remedy—it must be found. Some problems have instantly apparent remedies. The empty gas tank. An overdrawn bank account. A bleeding cut on your hand. An important phone call that must be returned. Other evils or problems are more complex and their remedy is more elusive. It may take some research, investigation, and searching to find the remedy.

I seriously injured my back in 2003. I was in chronic pain for years. I tried more things to solve the problem than I can even recount. Some things worked better than others. Some things made my condition worse. Eventually I found the right mix between physical activity and rest. But it took me 7 years to find the solution. The remedy was complex and elusive. There WAS A REMEDY—but only time would confirm that there was a remedy and what that remedy was. Some evils are like that. You can only determine whether a remedy exists by investing time and energy in a search. The quote states this clearly…If there be one, try and find it. Notice it says IF THERE BE ONE. There’s no assumption that a remedy exists. Or if it EXISTS, that it can be FOUND. But there may be one. So you’ll need to try and find out.

Sometimes no remedy is ever found

Unfortunately not every evil has a remedy. Some evils cannot be fixed. Some problems have no solution. This is not easy to admit. We chafe at the idea of confessing that no remedy can be found for a particular evil. In fact, some people spend their entire lives searching for a solution to a problem that has none. You want to convince them that they should change their mind about a solution. That it would be better if they admitted that there’s no remedy. It might help them sleep better. It might give them more energy. It might help them better use the time they have. But they fight it until the day they die. They’re convinced that a remedy exists—if they can JUST FIND IT.

On the other hand, we must keep in mind that we’re seeing more and more remedies to problems that we previously thought would never be solved. This gives us hope. And determination. And resilience. But the fact remains that there will always be evils that have no remedy. Even if the list is getting smaller.

Bringing it all together

So we admit that evils are inevitable. Evils are an inescapable aspect of life. Some evils have remedies. Some do not. Only a search will determine one way or the other. If you find the remedy, you can rejoice and be thankful. If you don’t find the remedy, you have two options. You can abandon the pursuit. Or you can continue the search. In the end only you can make that call. We all have different levels of tolerance for obstacles. I would never tell you to abandon your search for a remedy. I would only encourage you to assess your search. You may be searching for something that can never be found. Or it might be found just over the next hill. You must make that call for yourself. And you must let others make that call for themselves. 

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