Did Vivekananda say "Neither seek nor avoid, take what..."?

In his words

Yes. Swami Vivekananda said this in Recorded by Miss S. E. Waldo (a Disciple) (Complete Works, vol 7). It survives in class notes taken by a disciple, which the Complete Works prints.

The version people share

“Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.”

Seen on: Goodreads.

What he said

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Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes

More in his words

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.

Do one thing at a time and while doing it put your whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else.

Keep one line with you

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Questions people ask

Is "Neither seek nor avoid, take what..." in the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda?

Yes. Swami Vivekananda said this in Recorded by Miss S. E. Waldo (a Disciple) (Complete Works, vol 7). It survives in class notes taken by a disciple, which the Complete Works prints.

How do you check a Vivekananda quote?

Search a distinctive phrase in the Complete Works (Advaita Ashrama, nine volumes; the text is on ramakrishnavivekananda.info and Wikisource). If only quote sites carry it, with no volume or lecture named, treat it as unverified.

Sources and method

Matched against The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Mayavati Memorial Edition, vols 1 to 8 (9,239 paragraphs, Bengali translations checked separately), with Python difflib. In his words: 90 or more out of 100. Paraphrase: 70 to 90. Not in his works: under 70, and no hit in a phrase search of Wikisource across all volumes, including vol 9. This line scored 100.