These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. . . . Great necessities call out great virtues.

Abigail Adams wrote this sentiment during the early, uncertain years of the American Revolution, when political upheaval and war were reshaping colonial life and demanding extraordinary civic commitment. In her correspondence with John Adams—who was frequently away serving in the Continental Congress and other revolutionary duties—she reflected on how crisis tests and forms character. The line captures her conviction that the turbulence of the moment, rather than being merely frightening or disruptive, created the conditions in which uncommon abilities and moral strength could emerge. It is part of her broader habit of interpreting current events through the lens of virtue, duty, and the moral education of individuals and nations.

The quote argues that human excellence is forged less by comfort than by challenge. “Still calm” and “pacific” life may preserve stability, but they rarely demand the courage, ingenuity, and self-command that produce “great characters.” By calling the moment one “a genius would wish to live,” Adams reframes turmoil as an arena for meaningful action: necessity compels people to discover capacities they might never otherwise develop. The final maxim—“Great necessities call out great virtues”—suggests that virtue is not only a private trait but a response to public need, and that historical crises can become moral proving grounds.