I [Jeffrey Phillips] love those truisms that people use to describe a situation. Strangely they are usually based on obvious failures, but perhaps it's simply easier to teach people based on failure than success. Some relatively well-known truisms include:
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
You can't push a string uphill
Time waits for no man
I'd like to add one about innovation. While we like to say that everyone can innovate, its probably also safe to say that
You can't force a disinterested person to innovate
Innovate on Purpose: Passionate People Drive Innovation Success
