vicissitudes
noun

- a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant

- changes that happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse

Oxford Languages / The Cambridge Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus, whose work revolved around the idea that change is central to the universe, famously said "The only thing in life that is constant is change"—which nicely sums up the concept of “vicissitudes” (usually used in the plural).

“Vicissitudes" traces its origins to the Latin word vicis meaning "change" or "turn" and entering the English language in the early 17th century from the French word vicissitude.

The first known use of the word in writing was by English philosopher Francis Bacon in 1605 in his work ‘The Advancement of Learning’ where "vicissitudes" is used to describe the alternations between favourable and unfavourable events that occur over time, often due to forces outside one's control — evoking both the uncertainty and fluidity of life's circumstances.

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VICTORY OVER VICISSITUDES

- “The darkest hour has only sixty minutes." - Morris Mandel

- “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford

- “Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with." - Thomas Carlyle

- “Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter." - Dan Reeves

- “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." - African Proverb

- “Tough times don't last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller

- “The darkest nights produce the brightest stars." - Unknown

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SYNONYMS

bittersweets, boomerangs, buffetings, capriciousness, changes of fortune, downs and ups, ebbs and flows, fates, freaks of fortune, happenstances, hard knocks, hills and valleys, peaks and troughs, quirks of fate, rollercoasters, sea changes, shifts of fortune, slings and arrows, strokes of fortune, trials and tribulations, turns of events, twists and turns (of fate), ups and downs, VICISSITUDES, whims of fortune, whirlwinds of change, yo-yo effects

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

"Strategy needs to be flexible enough to meet the VICCISSITUDES of the market."

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