DREIESKIVA​|Roald Kvam

«Necessity is the mother of taking chances.» — Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s quote reminds us that necessity often drives us to take chances and explore new opportunities.
When we face urgent needs or challenges, we often find the courage to do things we might never have considered on an ordinary day.

I’m curious to dig deeper into this statement:

Necessary

When we face a situation that demands immediate action, necessity almost forces us to think and act outside our comfort zone.
This can lead to entirely new solutions and opportunities—ones we never would have seen otherwise.

Needs and urgency can give us exactly the courage we need to take risks we would normally do anything to avoid.
Yes, it gives us the sense that we have no other choice but to act.

When confronted with necessity, we may discover possibilities we hadn’t noticed before.
These often lie far beyond the comfort zone, beyond the fear zone—even out in the growth and learning zone—but they can lead to genuine development and positive change.

So far, there’s no despair in necessity—only drive. But let’s take a closer look at how we might apply necessity in our lives:

Applicable

Identify situations where necessity pushes you to act. Instead of fearing these moments, welcome them—embrace them as golden opportunities to grow and learn.

Let necessity be the driving force behind taking calculated risks.
Absolutely evaluate the risks and potential gains—but then decide to be willing to take the leap when needed.

Use necessity as a catalyst for creativity, restarts, and reinvention.
When facing a challenge, think outside the box to find new solutions.
After all, what’s inside the box already brought you to this point of challenge—this need—this necessity…
So now is the time to look beyond and outside what you already know.
Remember: a crisis can be flipped into a (demanding, but) rewarding journey of discovery!

Each time you take a chance driven by necessity, make sure you learn from the experience.
Otherwise, the risk is high that you’ll just repeat the same painful mistakes over and over again—and you really don’t need to spend your time like that.
Even if you don’t succeed, a reflected experience always gives valuable lessons you can use in future situations—including how to avoid falling into the same ditch twice.

So yes, the necessity Twain points to is indeed applicable.
But there’s something even more beautiful here—some gifts that come with taking the necessary chances:

Beautiful

By responding to necessity, we learn to adapt quickly to new situations and challenges.
This builds our resilience and our ability to handle change.

Necessity forces us to think creatively and find innovative solutions.
This can lead to new ideas and breakthroughs that we never would have discovered otherwise.

When we take chances driven by necessity, we challenge ourselves and grow on a personal level.
This can strengthen our confidence and belief in our own abilities.

Experiences with handling necessity improve our problem-solving skills.
They equip us to face future challenges with a more solution-oriented mindset.

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Mark Twain’s quote reminds us that necessity often pushes us to take chances we otherwise might not dare.
His perspective encourages us to see necessary situations as opportunities to develop ourselves and move toward our goals.

And I believe he’s right:
There is no despair in necessity.
It is both applicable and may bring beautiful gifts to those who embrace the possibilities that lie within a crisis.