“Stay the course” means to persevere through difficulties for a desired outcome. It can be advice or self-affirmation. The phrase originated with sailors and has been used by politicians. Parents also use it to be consistent with their children.
Stay the course is an idiom of the English language meaning to persevere in the face of difficulties when the desired outcome is determined to be worth the obstacles encountered along the way. This saying can be prescriptive, such as a form of advice from another, or it can be a type of self-affirmation, such as “I have to stay the course to be successful.” Most people know that life is tainted with tough times, and in order to survive, one has to face the hurdles that life brings. In this way, this is a positive concept that everyone can relate to at some point in their lives.
Many parents know all too well what it means to stay the course. They know that it is much easier to say “yes” to a child than to say “no”. While saying “no” may be in the child’s best interest, he is likely to run into tantrums, sulks and begging. Most parents say they need to be consistent whether they ultimately win or give up on the battle.
In the 1980s, the American Republican Party, aka the Reagan administration, used the phrase “staying the course” to lift the morale of the American public during the country’s economic woes. In 2000, the Bush administration adopted this rhetoric to justify the long-debated US presence in Iraq. President Bush said, “We will not lose in Iraq. In fact, we will win in Iraq as long as we stay the course.” Later, the administration dropped the plan after much discussion about whether staying on was worthwhile.
The phrase most likely originated with sailors who had to endure harsh weather conditions at sea. Having a well-established navigational system, they must have thought it best to stay on course rather than get lost at sea when they could not clearly see where they were headed and when it would be difficult to maneuver the ship under adverse conditions. Staying on course, however difficult, would allow them to safely reach their destination.
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