Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer.
Life, like poker has an element of risk. It shouldn't be avoided. It should be faced.
If a man devotes himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens otherwise if one is idle.
World War I was not inevitable, as many historians say. It could have been avoided, and it was a diplomatically botched negotiation.
It's a near miracle that nuclear war has so far been avoided.
Cultivate your curves - they may be dangerous but they won't be avoided.
Imagine how foolish you'd look if, like one clever salesman who once pitched to me, you tried to license your product to a big industry player without knowing they just launched a competing product. With the right background research, he could have avoided that and other landmines - and so can you.
History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided.
The reason is that for many years I have avoided reading anything whatsoever that approaches my own line of country, out of a somewhat fanatical desire to avoid the risk of unconscious imitation.
Arguments are to be avoided: they are always vulgar and often convincing.