What is the meaning behind the phrase the race is not to the swift?

[heartless]

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

I'm wondering what this "poem" really means. Is it that the race is for everyone who uses up his/her time and chance, training for the best? I've spent a few hours thinking about it not quite deriving a valid explanation.

Thanks,

 

[Cyrus]

It is saying that you have to work hard and have some luck to succeed.

 

[Pengwuino]

I think it's completely wrong. I think the poem is trying to say that no matter how hard you try or how fast you are or whatever, your success depends only on chance.

 

[Cyrus]

Never mind what I said. I have no clue, because I don't know the full context. I searched the quote, and its a religious quote. What I said was taken at face value for what you put.

 

[Pengwuino]

Mine too, i didn't even think about what kind of context this might be in.

 

[Cyrus]

In one of the most famous sections of the essay, Orwell quotes from the King James Bible, Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, verse 11:

I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
He translates this verse into "modern" English like this:

Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must invariably be taken into account.

Taken from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_and_the_English_Language

 

[heartless]

thanks for help and explanation Cyrus,
Can you also translate this from "modern" English into reasonable and logical English? It's pretty hard for me to get some ideas from these lines, I mean, rather explain this, since I know what lines say, but I can't find logical meaning of all.

Thanks, again.


"Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must invariably be taken into account"

 

[Rach3]

I like the modern version better. The biblical one seems vague and pretentious, too much metaphor I think. Not enough straight talk.

"Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity...

They don't?

While freely conceding that the Soviet regime exhibits certain features which the humanitarian may be inclined to deplore, we must, I think, agree that a certain curtailment of the right to political opposition is an unavoidable...

Every bit as disgusting as the "unobscured" version. His comparison doesn't really work.

 

[loseyourname]

"The race is not to the swift . . ."

Tell that to the next set of Olympic track champions. They sure look pretty swift to me.

But yeah, I take it to mean that training for worldly greatness will do nothing for you, for the true race is the race to the kingdom of God, true wealth is the wealth of God's love in heaven, and you won't get those things by being fast or clever.

 

[Cyrus]

Ah, bingo. You got the interpretation. Thanks Loseyourname, that sounds like the proper context.

 

[Rach3]

But yeah, I take it to mean that training for worldly greatness will do nothing for you, for the true race is the race to the kingdom of God, true wealth is the wealth of God's love in heaven, and you won't get those things by being fast or clever.

That's what makes me so miffed about Orwell taking those lines as an example of "clear" writing. They're not clear at all! They can mean any number of things, and you sure as heck can't take them at face value.

 

[heartless]

"The race is not to the swift . . ."

Tell that to the next set of Olympic track champions. They sure look pretty swift to me.

But yeah, I take it to mean that training for worldly greatness will do nothing for you, for the true race is the race to the kingdom of God, true wealth is the wealth of God's love in heaven, and you won't get those things by being fast or clever.

So it really talks about the road to heaven? I just thought there is a hidden message how to behave and think of life and competition excluding any religious ideas. Feeling a little bit disapointed.

Anyway, thank you everyone for posts, responses, writings and everything.

 

[Aether]

I'm wondering what this "poem" really means.

What this poem really means, in a nutshell, is "size doesn't matter". Although it is commonly believed to have been written by King Solomon (who had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines), the identity of the real author remains somewhat of a mystery.

 

[heartless]

What this poem really means, in a nutshell, is "size doesn't matter".

Excuse me, but can you give a deeper explanation of yours?

 

[Aether]

What this poem really means, in a nutshell, is "size doesn't matter".

Excuse me, but can you give a deeper explanation of yours?

Self worth isn't determined entirely by those talents and handicaps that are beyond one's control, but enthusiasm and determination can also be important factors.

 

[heartless]

Self worth isn't determined entirely by those talents and handicaps that are beyond one's control, but enthusiasm and determination can also be important factors.

Wow, that's pretty much what I was looking for, not any explanation of road to heaven. I got its full meaning, and I like your explanation much better, although it probably is that both explanation or even the other one applies to the poem given above. Now, give me some time to think and wonder about it.

Thanks,

How strange was it that I couldn't come up with such simple yet powerful explanation?

 

[kokoro]

1)The race is not to the swift
2)or the battle to the strong,
3)nor does food come to the wise
4)or wealth to the brilliant
5)or favor to the learned;
6)but time and chance happen to them all.

These you probably know::
1)The race for love power and money doesn't always go to the swiftest (hence the rabbit and tortious *sorry for miss spelling*)
2)The strongest doesn't always win! Sometimes it can be the smartest!
3)If your smarter you don't always know everything. Jung talks about how even the educated are just as blind sometimes as the stupid people. Think of a doctor who knows SO MUCH but can still be a royal a s s
4)You don't have to be smart to be rich!
5)just cause we study sciences doesn't mean we will be liked!
Here you go::
6) But with time and probability or chance anything can happen. Basically its saying that nothing is as it seems and anything is truley possibale and regardless of status or state of mind you can do or go wherever you want! But it also says that bad things can happen. its kinda a simple poem but i like it. thanks for posting. and I am sure that my discription is real stupid so sorry ;.;! But I wanted to solve it on my own!

 

[retiretoheber]

I wrote this after reading this book
listed in the bottom
hope this helps
kelly miller
The race is not to the swift
Nor the battles to the strong
It is for those who don't drift
And know to whom they belong

Clearly we've a defined goal
That all can conquer and win
Dearly to each in their role
Is prayer to endure to the end

To all- an invitation
Let us be introspective
To reach our destination
We must see each objective

With continuous effort
We must ever stay on course
We simply cannot afford
To detour for therein's remorse

We must avoid the quicksand
That threatens on every side
And steer clear of each hand
That says there's a way to slide

Our Elder Brother and Lord
Showed the way while yet a boy
He gave to us a watchword-
Of Father's business and joy

As a grown man, He taught us
And, too, He showed us the way
Him, may we evermore trust
Who calms the waters to stay

There's much more to the story
For for our sins, Jesus wept
On the pathway to glory
He taught the laws that must be kept

With faith, hope, and repentance
And ordinances that do clean
We've help to complete the distance
And with the Father be seen

Thoughts from an Invitation to Exaltation
Timeless talks by Thomas S. Monson pages 9-12

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Tell that to the next set of Olympic track champions.

Does this help?

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_race_is_not_always_to_the_swift-nor_the/203622.html"

 

[BobG]

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

1) It's a quote from a frustrated better on NFL games. Generally, the balance between skill and luck in the outcome of NFL games is 52% skill and 47% luck*.

*Based on the idea that if the game were 100% based on skill, the team with the better statistics would win 100% of the time and if the game were 100% based on luck, the team with the better statistics would win 50% of the time. In practice, the team with the better statistics wins a little over 75% of the time.

2) It's a quote from an insurance salesman. No matter how well prepared you are and no matter how good you are, bad things happen. The only way to prepare for the future is to accept that bad things are going to happen to you and buy lots of insurance so the bad things don't bankrupt you.

 

[retiretoheber]

I think our state of mind should always be that we can't sit back and say... I'm the fastest, and I'm going to win. I'm set for life. You prepare, prepare, prepare -
It should be I'll prepare my best, do my best...
here's another poem I wrote

Through Christ you’ll achieve great expectations
Both in mind and spirit through your preparations
There will be pitfalls to avoid on the track
And alone to finish- the strength you'll lack

Beginners are many, but enders are few
Stick to your task until it sticks to you
In the game of life effort is required
If you can prove yourself, you’ll be desired

Be like the Savior and help others along
And as you help them, you'll grow to be strong
The foxes have holes and the birds have nests
Those with room for the Lord achieve the great tests

As you set sail beware of the flashy start
And too beware of what lies in your heart
It is our daily good habits that do pay
And great effort is needed to live that way..

So, continually remember to kneel and to pray
And do of the things the prophets do say
When you would to sin and flail in deep waters
Return to the Lord and spiritual matters

Thomas S. Monson
CES fireside BYU January 11, 2009


Expectations
belief about (or mental picture of) the future, the feeling that something is about to happen, wishing with confidence of fulfillment, the sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after a while.
—Author Unknown

 

[Math Is Hard]

It's been over two years since the person who started this thread was online.